The Excellence in Management Club has delivered its EFQM 500+ Seal of Excellence, awarded this December, to the Chair of PATSA, Albert Batlle. Tibidabo Amusement Park (PATSA) is part of the B:SM group, a public company belonging to Barcelona City Council

The EFQM Model first appeared in the 1980s and is now a management benchmark within the European Union

Awarded on the basis of the Business Excellence Model’s criteria , the EFQM 500+ Seal of Excellence consolidates the Park’s position within the area of excellence, innovation and sustainability

Tibidabo Amusement Park has received the distinction of the EFQM 500+ Seal of Excellence, awarded by the Excellence in Management Club, the official representative in Spain of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), an organisation based in Brussels representing over 55 countries.

The EFQM Seal of Excellence is an international certificate that recognises excellent, innovative and sustainable management among organisations, using assessments under the EFQM Model. The assessment involved a strategic reflection, carried out taking the EFQM Model as its reference, which has helped Tibidabo to gain a comprehensive overview of its management.

Thanks to the EFQM 500+ Seal of Excellence several initiatives carried out by the Park have been recognised, such as the excellent management of Tibidabo’s alliances directly affecting the environment not only in the Park but also in the city of Barcelona, which include the agreements with UNICEF Comitè Catalunya, the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), Lego and the Serra de Collserola Natural Park.

The alliance with the UNICEF Comitè Catalunya is aimed at promoting awareness of children’s rights among society and visitors to the Park. This synergy represents a step forward in the social awareness-raising initiatives carried out by Tibidabo to spread messages of tolerance, solidarity and respect among all its visitors. La Cançó de Pau, held every December at the park, is the central collaborative event between Unicef and Tibidabo.

For its part, the alliance with the UPC has led to the launch of an educational project, Fisidabo, which is turning Tibidabo Amusement Park into a science laboratory so that secondary school students can discover the physics hidden behind the park’s various attractions. And Creatibi Robòtics by Lego, an educational robotics space inside the park, where children can enjoy 6 robotics activities such as programming and coding robots and discovering the robots’ skills and movements.

Tibidabo Amusement park signed a collaboration agreement with the Serra de Collserola Natural Park Consortium in 2014 for conserving and promoting the Collserola Nature Park’s natural environment. The alliance provides for three areas relating to the environment such as promoting the use of collective transport for reaching the top of the mountain, carrying out periodic maintenance of the native plants insides the park’s grounds and initiatives for improving selective waste collection, as well as water and electricity monitoring.

Also recognised were Tibidabo's environmental improvements and efforts thanks to the implementation of the new mobility plan for reducing polluting gases and the use of private transport to reach the top of the mountain. And furthermore, the boost to collective transport from the Cuca de Llum funicular railway, which is in line with the Barcelona strategy and makes the park accessible to the city, enhancing the experience and entertainment of Cuca de Llum, making it Tibidabo’s number-one attraction.

Notable too is the park’s active listening for improving services for customers and the good experience they receive when they visit the park, thanks to the workers who have become a key element for improving visitor experiences. Tibidabo's good management throughout the pandemic, in view of the uncertainty this unleashed, was also recognised.

The assessment led to a report that includes every one of Tibidabo's above-mentioned strong points, as well as the opportunities for organisational improvement and good practices, for following this path to excellence and maintaining it over time.

“Obtaining the EFQM 500+ Seal of Excellence makes the Park a benchmark in excellence, innovation and sustainability. It also strengthens the satisfaction, commitment and pride of belonging of the individuals that make up the Tibidabo Amusement Park’s team. A path for ensuring that the Park can continue for another 120 years as a benchmark venue for entertainment, education and solidarity in Barcelona”, points out Rosa Ortiz, Managing Director of Tibidabo Amusement Park.

“As a representative of the Excellence in Management Club and as a Barcelona resident, it gives me great satisfaction and pride to have a public organisation that brings happiness to the city’s residents and visitors through such excellent, innovative and sustainable management. Tibidabo is an example of exceptional organisation, noted for its social commitment, integration in the area, a balance between present and future, in addition to its involvement with all its various stakeholders. It is, in sum, an exemplary organisation that meets its challenges to guarantee itself a sustainable future for the long term”, adds Miquel Romero, Director of Marketing and Commercial Director of the Excellence in Management Club.

The project offers an interactive educational experience with a holographic screen which emulates a fully equipped viewing point in the Sahel savannah

ZOOHHH! aims to bring Barcelona Zoo closer to hospital patients, reducing the impact of hospitalisation and at the same time helping hospital environments to go digital

The project is backed by Mobile World Capital Barcelona, Barcelona Zoo, the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, Vodafone and the Fundació “la caixa”, with the collaboration of the Ministry of the Vice-Presidency, Digital Policies and Territory and the Fundació El Somni dels Nens

Barcelona, 18 December - Seeing a lion roar and lash out with his claws as we hold our hand close to him, a giraffe detect our presence and move its head, an elephant try to greet us with its trunk or a tortoise move its head following our hand. All this is possible thanks to ZOOHHH!, a pilot project which uses 5G and holography and which was presented this morning at the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona. The project aims to bring some of the animals from Barcelona Zoo closer to children at the hospital, improve their mood and reduce the impact of their hospitalisation. It is also an educational tool which enables them to learn the characteristics of the animals and their habitats.

Promoted by Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWC Capital), together with Barcelona Zoo, the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, Vodafone and the Fundació “la caixa”, the project also enjoys the collaboration of the Ministry of the Vice-Presidency, Digital Policies and Territory and the Fundació El Somni dels Nens. The participation of institutions, companies and different sectors allows for different spheres to contribute to the digitalisation of hospital environments and the health sector.

Speaking at the project presentation, the Secretary for Digital Policies from the Catalan government, David Ferrer, noted that “projects such as this show the full worth of the government's backing for digitalisation as a way of generating opportunities, not just in the economic realm but most of all in the social sphere and people’s well-being. Taking the Zoo to hospitalised children with a recreational and educational holographic experience such as this highlights the benefits of digitalisation in hospital environments and the impact of advanced technologies such as 5G in the healthcare sector, where it also allows for remote operations, connected ambulances, telecare and more, helping take the strain off hospitals and contributing to patients’ overall health”.

ZOOHHH! consists of a booth which emulates a viewing point for nature. It is equipped with a 32-inch Looking Glass 8K holographic screen, connected to the Vodafone 5G network installed around the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu. This offers users an interactive experience with wildlife from a particular geographical region in the world. 3D Volumetric technology from the company Aumenta Solutions make it possible to interact with digital models of these animals. This is thanks to a Leap Motion sensor that follows and responds to the user’s hand.

Eduard Martin, CIO and director of Smart Connectivity with MWCapital, explained that “projects like this give hospitalised children enriching experiences such as going to the Zoo and discovering and interacting with animals in the most realistic way possible. With ZOOHHH! we’re reaffirming our desire to contribute to the digitalisation of the healthcare sector, which is benefiting from emerging technologies.

The 3D images with enhanced audio-visuals were obtained from photos taken at Barcelona Zoo, which is home to the animals. The scientific supervision of the content was carried out by their biologists. In this pilot project, the animals in the spotlight are a lion, a giraffe, an elephant and a tortoise from the Sahel.

Awareness, together with conservation and research, constitute one of the cornerstones of modern zoos which are committed to the preservation of wildlife and their natural habitats. Approved in 2019, the new model for Barcelona Zoo places special emphasis on the need to get out and about with its message of protecting biodiversity and making it reach as many people and possible through illuminating experiences that move people and spur them into action, reconnecting them with nature.

At the same time, the Zoo has always made an effort to engage with people in vulnerable situations, particularly children, regularly offering to collaborate with various hospitals and institutions such as those involved here, the Hospital de Sant Joan de Déu, the Fundació “la Caixa” and the Fundació El Somni dels Nens. Participating in the ZOOHHH! project enables the institution to combine these two vocations and also include the essential technology factor. From the Sahel Discovery Centre at the Zoo, the real equivalents of the virtual animals in this project act as ambassadors for this bioregion which is also in a vulnerable situation. The Zoo has strong ties with this area, through various conservation projects.

The booth will be set up for a first stage outside the Itaka building at the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, with patients at this facility being the first to be able to make a virtual journey to the Sahel. In a second stage, ZOOHHH! will be moved to the Paediatric Cancer Centre which is to be opened a few months from now at the same Hospital Sant Joan de Déu.

Projects such as ZOOHHH! are possible thanks to the bandwidth offered by 5G technology. This helps the digital world to represent the physical world more accurately, generating new types of interactions with a huge cultural, educational and service potential. Diego Presa, Area Director for Vodafone in Catalonia and Aragon noted that “this project highlights the enormous power of 5G technology for projects that were unthinkable years ago to become a reality today. The high speed and low latency offered by 5G is essential for this to be a perfect experience”.

This project comes in addition to other initiatives such as Hack the Hospital, a hackathon organised between the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and the Boston Children’s Hospital to design new innovative solutions to improve hospital stays for children and teenagers. “All these initiatives have great value as they allow us to gauge other potential uses that new technologies can offer our patients, not just from a recreational perspective as with ZOOHHH!, but also from a care point of view, as is the case with using 5G for monitoring and caring for a child remotely”, noted the Director of Innovation at the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, Jaume Pérez Payarols.

It will be one of the projects on show, from 28 February to 3 March, at Beat Barcelona, the outdoor venue that the city is opening for the Congress

Smou is the main application for mobility solutions in Barcelona; over 500,000 people use it every day to plan their journeys

Throughout the year, B:SM collaborates with the Mobile World Capital to promote digital innovation projects applied to e-mobility and the designing of inclusive experiences in places such as Park Güell and the Zoo

Smou, the city’s personal-mobility app, will be on show at the Mobile World Congress, which is taking place from 28 February to 3 March. Smou will be in a prominent location at Beat Barcelona, a new, 1.500 m2 outdoor venue where the city aims to project its own character and the potential it has as a destination for investments and talent retention.

Within this new networking environment, smou will be showcased as one of Barcelona's benchmark projects, as an example of technological innovation placed at the service of city residents, in order to provide sustainable mobility solutions. Smou is committed to constant improvement, in order to adapt to the changing needs of the people who use it. This effort is reflected in the number of users; over 500,000 people use it to plan their journeys every day.

The app favours intermodality in mobility, in a simple, intuitive, sustainable and safe way. It also allows users to plan and personalise their journeys without any need to download other applications. Currently, smou consists of 16 shared-mobility operators, and includes a wide variety of mobility services, including parking management, both on-street and in car parks, Bicing, Endotoxin Barcelona's network of charging points and the nearly 10,000 bicycle and motorbike-sharing vehicles licensed in the city. This also makes it a fine example of public-private partnership.

B:PM's commitment to the Mobile is maintained all year

B:SM maintains its commitment to the Mobile World Congress and the city's status as the technology capital by means of various collaborations with the Mobile World Capital and its Digital Future Society programme. This framework agreement is exemplified by the promotion of e-mobility initiatives and the search for innovative solutions to some of the challenges raised by the 2030 Agenda, to cite just some of the strategic lines of work.

In the area of Sustainable Development Goals, B:SM and Digital Future Society are promoting the Innovation 2030 project. This initiative consists of launching a series of challenges that offer digital and technological solutions to real problems in the city. Through this project, work is currently under way to design accessible visits to the Zoo and Park Güell for people with sensory and cognitive diversity. In the project's second phase, it is planned to launch two more challenges in the area of e-mobility.

Also in the area of promoting electric vehicles, Endolla Barcelona's public network of charging points is implementing the testing phase of the Digital Energy Platform, created by the Canadian company Awe sense. This project won the innovation challenge created by MWCapital and, for one year, it will enable the testing of software that contributes to the smart management of energy consumed by charging points, one of the main challenges currently facing the development of e-mobility. In the case of the Endolla network, the tool will make it possible to obtain information on the current use of its infrastructures and to improve decision-making concerning the network’s expansion.

More recently, the Zoohhh! pilot project was presented. This initiative is promoted by B:SM, Barcelona Zoo, the Mobile World Capital Barcelona and Sant Joan de Déu Hospital in Barcelona, among other organisations.

This pilot project uses 5G technology to bring some of the Zoo's animals to children who have been admitted to hospital. This is achieved using a booth equipped with a high-quality holographic screen that emulates a nature viewpoint. The 3D technology makes it possible to interact with the digital models of these animals which, thanks to a sensor system, follow and react to the user's hand. The aim is to improve the children's state of mind and reduce the impact of being in hospital, while also including an educational and awareness-raising component concerning biodiversity.

This is a project financed with funds from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, financed by European Union – NextGenerationEU.

The amusement park will reopen on Saturday, 5 March with its usual rides and shows to guarantee fun and excitement for all visitors

This season, we will be celebrating two significant milestones: the 10th anniversary of the Unicef-Tibidabo partnership, and 20 years of the Park being under the public management of Barcelona City Council

Solidarity at Tibidabo will carry out the full breadth of its social actions with over 20 special days with non-profit organisations and associations involving over 100,000 people

As to rides and activities, Embruixabruixes is back after a two-year break. In addition, Virtual Express now includes new immersive VR goggles, and the Marionetarium has a whole new show

Fun is back in Barcelona with the reopening of the city’s iconic amusement park. Tibidabo will be opening its doors to the public on Saturday, 5 March. A new season gets under way, focusing on the Park's four strategic pillars of experience, education, solidarity and sustainability, which will be marked by the return of magic and excitement.

Tibidabo is back and pulling out all the stops with the return of its 11 am opening time

The Park resumes its usual opening hours, adapting to the return to normality to provide families with a better experience and greater enjoyment. Rides including the Giradabo big wheel, the Talaia watchtower, the Avió plane, the Miramiralls hall of mirrors, Crash Cars, Virtual Express, Globus, Diavolo, Piratta and the Muntanya Russa roller coaster will be open from 11 am. The rest of the Park will open at noon.

The most magical season

The Cuca de Llum funicular railway, the new gateway to the mountain and visitors' first experience of the Park, is already becoming the most efficient and sustainable collective transport method for reaching Tibidabo. Cuca de Llum is included in the Park entrance fee and makes it easier for visitors to get to the top of the mountain and back. Over 350,000 people have experienced the breathtaking panoramic experience of the new funicular since it first opened in June 2021.

Tibidabo is making more than 30 attractions available to families once again. In addition, the iconic ride Embruixabruixes is now back after a 2-year break. Furthermore, our most high-tech ride, Virtual Express, now includes new virtual reality goggles for an even more immersive experience.

As to shows, Tibidabo will have a wide selection throughout the season, with shows suitable for the whole family to round off the magical experience at the Park.

Coinciding with the start of the season, during the first two weekends of March Tibidabo will take part in the Carnival festivities with a huge party culminating in a Carnival parade. All families visiting the Park, particularly those in fancy dress, can take part.

Our mascots will continue to be the focus of the entire season with the Mascot Meet & Greet, a meeting point where children will get the chance to meet Ti, Bi, Da and Bo. For the first time, this year each mascot will tell their story to the public, starting in March. Our little bird Ti will be first up.

The Marionetarium at the Tibidabo has got a new show, "La Rambla del Marionetarium", where over 40 puppets will work together to put on a great parade unrivalled in Europe. The brand-new performance is a tribute to the heritage of Herta Frankel and the 75th anniversary of Chiquitín, the Marionetarium's oldest puppet.

Hotel Krueger will remain a key part of Tibidabo, with themed scenes and characters following the trend set last Christmas, when the character Krampus was added to the ride to great acclaim from the public. The main event, however, will be in October. On Halloween, the show "Tibidabo de por" will be held at Plaça dels Somnis.  

The eagerly awaited laser show, which was watched by over 90,000 people in 2021, will be back this summer to brighten up the evenings. At Christmas, the Park will bring the magic of the season to the public with Christmas shows and decorations.

Social commitment: Solidarity at Tibidabo

The Tibidabo Amusement Park is a socially committed venue that, year after year, carries out a variety of solidarity projects and initiatives. Last season, in spite of the exceptional situation caused by the pandemic, a total of 14 social and cultural solidarity days involving over 45,800 people were held. In addition, 3,859 grants were awarded to children in situations of social exclusion.

This year, we will mark the 10th anniversary of the Unicef-Tibidabo partnership with  a celebration at the Park on Saturday, 28 May, which is also World Play Day. Since it was created in 2012, the partnership between the two organisations has aimed to increase awareness of children’s rights among both visitors to the Park and the public in general.

In 2022, the Park is expected to host over 20 social events, such as the now traditional 'Un cop de mà', 'Estiu Sense Barreres', 'Festa del Cor', 'Un dia de Nassos', 'Posa’t la Gorra', 'Connecta’t al Blau' or the Song of Peace, among others. A variety of non-profit organisations, such as the NGO Pallapupas, the Migranodearena Foundation, AFANOC and Aprenem Autisme, will collaborate in these 20 cultural and solidarity events.

The Park's social commitment keeps growing. This year, we have added new solidarity projects, such as Educo, an NGO that works to promote fair and equitable societies that guarantee children's rights and welfare and whose solidarity day will be held at the Park on 15 May to coincide with World Family Day. Tibidabo will also host the Barcelona School Sports Council's (CEEB) Orienteering Race, a cross-country competition in which runners have to find milestones and recognise an unfamiliar place. The race will be held on Saturday, 26 March.

As part of its social commitment, Tibidabo continues to celebrate Healthy Habits Month, which will be held in November and will involve a variety of activities for members, such as healthy eating workshops, run by the Alícia Foundation. The events will for the first time include a sports workshop, which will be held in partnership with Clubs Claror.

Educational projects

As part of its role as an educational venue, on 20 May Tibidabo will make science fun for children with Fisidabo 2K. This will be an educational event held in partnership with the Bachelor's Degree in Physical Engineering of the Higher Technical School of Telecommunications Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and Ciència 360. Throughout the day, the Tibidabo Amusement Park will become a lab for over 2,000 students in year 4 of compulsory secondary education and baccalaureate students, who will use the rides at the Park to carry out physics experiments.

Within Fisidabo, the Fisidabo Hipàtica project, in which three groups of CELLEX Science and Mathematics International Baccalaureate students carry out experiments created and designed by them, is particularly worth noting.

Tibidabo also retains its commitment to the education sector, carrying out a number of educational activities in the fields of science, technology and the environment for all primary and secondary school and baccalaureate students, created and imparted by the Park's monitors.

Tibidabo Amusement Park receives the EFQM 500 Seal of Excellence

In December 2021, Tibidabo received the EFQM 500 seal, an international certification awarded for its excellent, innovative and sustainable management of the Park. The Seal also highlights a number of initiatives, including its excellent management of partnerships with Unicef Comitè Catalunya, the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Lego and the Collserola Natural Park, among others.
This recognition coincides with the celebration of 20 years of Tibidabo's public management by Barcelona City Council.

Over 390,000 people use the application to pay for parking in green and blue zones, generating 18,000 transactions a day

The smou app, with a total of over 500,000 users, continues to grow and innovate, in order to help foster sustainable, safe, digital and integrated mobility.

One out of every four Barcelona residents uses smou to plan and manage their mobility

Smou, the application that brings together various personal-mobility services and facilitates intermodality, is now used for 40% of regulated parking payments in green and blue zones, in Barcelona and the Metropolitan Area. A total of over 390,000 people use this function, generating a total of 18,000 transactions a day.

In the present context of recovering from the health crisis, smou has become a more convenient, practical and safe way of making payments at the parking meters located on the street. And at the same time, it contributes to sustainability, as it replaces paper tickets with digital ones. Continuing with this trend, by the end of 2023, we aim to reach the figure of 50% of regulated parking tickets processed through the app.

Parking meters on your mobile, with smou

Smou makes it possible to use your mobile to manage parking in blue and green zones, in the City of Barcelona and in 10 metropolitan municipalities (Badalona, Castelldefels, Esplugues de Llobregat, El Prat de Llobregat, l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Montgat, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Sant Joan Despí and Sant Just Desvern), paying for only the exact amount of time you have been parked. Thanks to smou, you don't need to find a physical parking meter, because the application acts as one. Furthermore, the app is integrated with conventional parking meters, so that users can finalise their operations manually if their mobile devices have a problem or their battery has run out.

Better organised mobility on a single application

On a single application, smou offers each user a multitude of services that foster planned, organised, safe, digital, connected and integrated mobility.  Three years on, there are now over 500,000 people using the application every day for moving around the city and the Metropolitan Area, contributing to sustainability.

Apart from allowing users to pay for regulated parking, smou also facilitates the location of, and access to, B:SM car parks, via licence-plate reading, without collecting a ticket or paying at the payment machine. It is also the official application for reserving and using Bicing and e-vehicle charging points in the Endolla Barcelona network.

Other mobility services include information about the city's bicycle lanes and marking the best route for cycling from A to B. It is also able to activate Municipal towing warnings in the event of a vehicle that has been registered on the application being moved or towed away. Smou's dynamic map includes information on the vehicles of car-sharing operators and the location of motorcycles and bicycles belonging to vehicle sharing operators officially licensed by Barcelona City Council. 

Smou solutions for businesses and self-employed people

Smou also offers solutions for facilitating management for businesses and self-employed people. Using the same application, it is possible to administrate, manage and control the records of regulated-parking and electric-recharging tickets. It is also able to generate invoices and makes downloading them easy, as well as sending payment receipts, tickets and invoices corresponding to the expenditure by email.

The regulation of parking in the city

The comprehensive system for regulating parking on the street, AREA, is one of the essential tools for managing sustainable mobility in the City of Barcelona. It aims to regulate the demand for parking on the street, optimising the available space. This reduces journeys by private vehicles and favours the use of more sustainable, less polluting means of transport.

A guided tour of the Poblenou Cemetery will tell the story of ten trailblazing women who were leading figures in their day

Representing different eras, environments and social classes, they were united by the need to demand the emancipation of women

Cementiris de Barcelona will commemorate International Women's Day with the guided tour "A women's walk", at Poblenou Cemetery. The route promoted by the first burial site in Barcelona will allow us to learn more about the ten women who were trailblazers in their day and a role model for subsequent generations.

Their graves will introduce us to different periods, environments and social classes. Despite their differences, one thing they all had in common was the need to demand women's emancipation. The ten women are the visible face of many others who were relegated to anonymity but who also showed their desire for freedom.

The guided tour will start at 11.00 am on 8 March and last one and a half hours. Book your places for free on https://cultura.cbsa.cat/.

The ten women presented through their graves are:

• Amélia de Vilanova
• Lola Anglada, narrator, sketcher and illustrator
• Mary Santpere, actress
• Núria Llimona, painter
• Maria Josepa Massanés i Dalmau, writer and feminist pioneer
• Fanny Ricot, dressmaker
• Dolors Masferrer, landowner
• Paula Pàmies, dancer, choreographer, dance teacher
• Carmen Tórtola Valencia, dancer
• Dorotea de Chopitea, promoter of schools and hospitals

The building’s dome has been lit up today, 8 March, as a symbol of the commitment pledged by the Olympic Ring and B:SM to women’s equality

A 425-metre line of LED lights and 44 floodlights on the roof give the Palau exterior a modern look, adding efficiency while respecting the environment

In the last two years the Olympic Ring has invested €1.4 million in improving the facilities and the experience of the attending public

The Palau Sant Jordi is dressed in lilac today, 8 March, to mark International Women’s Day and unveil its new outdoor lighting system. This will continue until midnight and demonstrates the commitment of the Olympic Ring and Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (B:SM), which manages the Palau, to equal rights and opportunities for women in every aspect of society.

The new lighting replaces the dome’s old halogen projectors with 44 high-efficiency floodlights and a 425-metre line of LED lights which will outline a new profile around the façade. The modernisation of the lighting system also meets sustainability criteria, as it will enable energy savings of almost 60%. A total of €245,000 has been invested in the project.

€1.4 million for improving the Olympic Ring’s facilities

Thirty years after the Olympic Games, Barcelona has re-established itself as an international model for conserving Olympic facilities and integrating them into public life. Making the most of the reduction in activities caused by the pandemic, the Olympic Ring has invested €1.4 million in the Palau Sant Jordi and the Olympic Stadium in the last two years with the aim of optimising use of the facilities as well as the experience of the attending public.

Besides the installation of LED lighting on the dome, other alterations have been carried out at the Palau Sant Jordi, where much of the work has been concentrated. Notable features include renovation of the press gallery, the building of new emergency exists and the increased capacity of the main arena, all of which consolidate the Palau Sant Jordi’s status as the event complex with the biggest capacity in the Spanish State. The Sant Jordi Club’s interior courtyard has also been covered with a roof, to increase the social spaces area. Renovation work is presently being carried on the cylindrical features that light up the Olympic Esplanade.

The Olympic Ring is expected to reposition itself this year as one of the city’s main venues for big events. In all it will host over 100 events, including concerts, sports and family events and citizen-participation activities. Highlights among the activities planned include the Olympic Stadium’s large-scale tours (Red Hot Chili Peppers and Iron Maiden) and performances from Spanish and international artists and groups at the Palau Sant Jordi (Dua Lipa, Alicia Keys, The Cure, Serrat, C.Tangana, Els Catarres, Sopa de Cabra and Antonio Orozco, to name a few). As for sport, Indoor Trial will be joining the Barcelona Olympic Ring's ongoing programme of live events.

A fifth cremation furnace enters service at Montjuïc Cemetery to improve the operation, performance and functionality of the facilities

Cementiris de Barcelona continues to adapt its services to the public’s new demands

Cementiris de Barcelona is totally committed to adapting to the new realities, demands and needs of the general public. Cremation has gained so much ground over the last few years that there is currently more demand for it than for the burial service. Hence the need to adapt resources and infrastructure to the new needs.

In line with its Strategic Plan, the municipal company has now installed its fifth cremation furnace at Montjuïc Cemetery. The installation of this state-of-the-art technology will improve service operation, performance and functionality. Work has also been carried out to improve the reception and stay of the deceased’s families. A new, more comfortable room has been arranged that offers them greater privacy, if they so wish, to watch the coffin of the deceased enter the cremation furnace as a final act of farewell.

Once the furnace had been built, it was taken to the Montjuïc Cemetery last September and, following its installation, it has undergone a trial period pending Catalan government certification. It is now operational and has been incorporated into the cremation process as a new resource. The total investment is €1,109,720.40.

Energy efficiency and environmental control

The fifth cremation furnace will improve energy efficiency thanks to its low energy needs and high performance. Being more compact, it has its own integrated gas cooling system, thanks to which it is safer and uses up less useful space. This new furnace, like all the others, is subject to strict environmental controls. All the data on its emissions are continuously monitored by means of an automated measuring system (AMS) and then reported to the Catalan Government’s environmental surveillance service.

As regards operational management, the incorporation of this new furnace allows greater flexibility in carrying out maintenance and periodic checks, adapting and adjusting the preventive maintenance plan with the aim of identifying possible breakdowns in advance, thus reducing corrective maintenance costs and thereby maximising furnace operating capacity.

Like all the other furnaces, this new one has been connected to the recycling network of residual heat emitted during the cremation process, to provide hot water, heating and cooling throughout the cremation furnace installation.

This initiative has also made it possible to rearrange and improve the space as well as implement the most innovative technological control systems, which provide the furnace operators with remote, real-time information on operations throughout the facility.

The start-up of the fifth furnace is one of several projects aimed at providing a better response to the new realities and demands of the public, for example, that of expanding the ash-resting spaces.

The roof of the Sant Jordi Club and the Olympic Stadium’s pergola are to have two photovoltaic installations installed for the self-consumption of all the Ring’s buildings  

According to B:SM’s calculations, using solar energy could prevent the emission of 190 tonnes of pollutant gases every year and generate savings of 70,000 euros in energy costs   

The project, which boasts a budget of around 628,000 euros, is expected to be completed by mid-2024

The Olympic Ring is taking a new step in its commitment to sustainability. Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (B:SM) has been working to install two self-consumption photovoltaic facilities in the Palau Sant Jordi and the Olympic Stadium. The aim is to reduce the energy consumption of all the buildings in the Ring and to embark on the path to self-sufficiency for all the buildings’ regular activities. What’s more, the aim is to help to reduce the volume of pollutant gases that are released into the atmosphere.

The Palau Sant Jordi’s solar panels will be located on the roof of the Sant Jordi Club, covering an area of 1,650 m2. There will be a total of 640 modules, capable of producing 513,000 kWh a year.

The Olympic Stadium’s photovoltaic installation will be located in two areas of the pergola, separated from one another by the architectural features of the roof. The Stadium will have 592 modules between these two nodes, occupying an area of 1,187 m2, ready for generating approximately 281,000 kWh a year.

Photovoltaic energy helps to reduce the pollutant emissions that are released into the atmosphere and which are responsible for the greenhouse effect. Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (B:SM), the Olympic Ring’s managing body, estimates that the emission of pollutant gases could be reduced by 190 tonnes per year. In addition, savings on energy costs could be over 70,000 euros, and the investment recouped within a period of under 10 years.

The project has a budget of roughly 628,000 euros. The photovoltaic installations will go into operation during the second half of 2024.

The Sahel Discovery Centre is opening a new interpretation trail to offer visitors an exciting experience which will improve their knowledge of this bioregion

New signs feature two types of information aimed at children and adults

The new communication strategy means the trail has been conceived as a route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea

The Sahel Discovery Centre at Barcelona Zoo has opened a new interpretation trail to offer visitors an exciting experience which will improve their knowledge of the Sahel Savanna bioregion.

The new communication strategy means the trail has been conceived as a route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. The route begins in Senegal and ends in Eritrea, passing through six other countries on the way. Visually appealing signs provide educational content along the way, helping visitors to experience an authentic journey through the Sahel as they make their way around.

The bioregion is represented at the zoo through a uniform set of enclosures housing animals from this habitat, which is highly vulnerable owing to the climate emergency. The Zoo is committed to preserving the region's biodiversity and is involved in various projects to reintroduce animals in danger of extinction back into the wild, aware of their importance for the planet. This is a region with strong ties to the Mediterranean at an ecological level, in terms of climate flows and species migration.

The overall goal of the discovery centre is to have a positive impact on the situation of the wildlife, the natural habitats and the traditional ways of life associated with this large bioregion, such as that of the nomadic Peul people. To achieve this, the interpretation trail includes the following elements:

-    A large entrance arch, which invites people to discover the space and provides basic visual information about the bioregion, along with another arch at the other end of the trail.

-    Throughout the trail, two information panels give an initial explanation of the habitat and the species that live there.

-    The section for each species includes two educational signs, one for children and one for adults.

-    At the end of the route there is a sign asking members of the public to get more involved in conservation, including calls to action.

-    Two sets of markings on the floor help recreate the geographical location and sensation of a continental journey: waves lapping the shore, identified as the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea respectively at the two arches, plus signs showing the name of each country as visitors cross the Sahel.

These elements make up the first phase of the rollout of this interpretation trail, which will be completed early in 2023.

In line with its new model, Barcelona Zoo is rolling out a comprehensive communication strategy to make the visit a complete experience, rather than simply the observation of a set of enclosures with animals.  The aim is to open the door to new knowledge and, most of all, move people and inspire them to act. The overall goal is to have a positive impact on the situation of the region's wildlife and natural habitats.

This strategy seeks to reach as many people as possible and is based around four main areas: Effective transmission of information (for visitors to take an interest), conservation (all spaces must be connected with a conservation goal), action (to give visitors hope and the tools for resolving the problems explained) and excitement (the whole Zoo experience needs to be exciting to generate empathy).

The information offered is aesthetically coherent. It is distributed throughout the different sections to reinforce the feeling of really exploring nature and pays attention to the personal stories of the animals. The emphasis is also on empowering adults, who receive important information on conservation which they can then convey to children, who also receive content which has been adapted to make it more attractive.

Interpretation at today's zoos

Zoos such as those in Berlin, Hamburg, the Bronx, Washington and San Diego are international leaders for the high level of public awareness they have managed to achieve through interpretation centres. By reflecting this model, Barcelona Zoo is to gradually include new elements and discovery centres, following the example of the Sahel centre.

Interpretation trails in zoos are determined by the fact that most visitors do not have an in-depth knowledge of biology and ecology. To get members of the public interested in the conservation of biodiversity, these discovery spaces need to be based on specific and spontaneous experiences with animals. Installations must attract the attention of the visitor and generate an interest in interpretation features. To be effective, these must be able to answer the questions asked by each individual, and then introduce new ideas.