Barcelona Global has appointed Josep Lluís Sanfeliu, co-founder of Asabys Partners, as its new president for the 2026 to 2028 term. The decision, made at the association’s general assembly, puts housing and mobility at the top of its agenda. Sanfeliu replaces Ramon Agenjo, who led the organization through a period of growth and consolidation.
Sanfeliu’s priorities span five areas: tackling housing and mobility challenges, strengthening the talent cycle, boosting foreign investment, consolidating the social and wellbeing environment, and reinforcing Barcelona Global’s internal structure. The agenda reflects a competitiveness challenge as well as an urban one: international specialists may choose not to stay if they cannot find suitable accommodation or get around the city effectively.
In comments reported by La Vanguardia, Sanfeliu said international professionals include doctors and scientists, among them biologists, as well as lifestyle-oriented expatriates. He linked access to housing with investment, warning that making it difficult for professionals to live in Barcelona could mean losing investment, and called for greater flexibility. He has also described the goal as allowing talent to put down roots while moving around the city, with flexible rentals, physical and legal security, and effective transport within Barcelona and between cities among the needs identified.
Recent market figures reflect the pressure on housing. Data attributed to the Institut Català del Sòl (INCASÒL) put Barcelona’s average rent at €1,137.35 in the first quarter of 2026, up 4.6% from €1,087.23 a year earlier. Barcelona City Council’s housing-conjuncture study put the average rent at €16.89 per square metre, compared with €16.19 a year earlier. The same reporting recorded a fall in average dwelling size, from 75 square metres in 2024 to 71.1 square metres in 2026.
Demand for rental homes has also been intense: the Alquiler Seguro Foundation’s Rental Observatory estimated 401 interested applicants per available property in Barcelona during its first ten days on the market in the third quarter of 2026. The Observatory put the provincial average rent at €1,641, slightly above Madrid’s €1,639 and below the Balearic Islands’ €1,681. These figures help explain why Sanfeliu has presented housing flexibility and transport connections as part of Barcelona’s ability to attract and retain internationally mobile specialists.
With a background in biotechnology and digital-health investment, Sanfeliu has been a member of Barcelona Global since 2011 and previously led its Life Sciences Chapter. His professional record includes founding Asabys Partners, a European fund focused on medical technology, and co-founding Ysios Capital, a pioneer in Spanish biomedical venture capital. Barcelona Global’s leadership has set a broader goal: improving the city’s appeal to international talent and capital.
The general assembly also approved a new Executive Committee to support Sanfeliu’s mandate. It will include three vice presidents: Rafael Fontana, honorary president of Cuatrecasas; Lluís Seguí, co-founder and CEO of Miura Partners; and Carmina Ganyet, general corporate director of Colonial. Other members named are Silvia Alsina, Chema Casas, Romain Fornell, Michael Goldenberg, Ousman Umar, Ernest Quingles and Isabel Vidal.
Barcelona Global is a private, independent association comprising 280 companies and research centers. Outgoing president Ramon Agenjo expressed support for Sanfeliu’s vision, emphasizing continuity and the importance of addressing urban challenges. General director Mercè Conesa highlighted efforts to strengthen Barcelona’s reputation in health sciences, respond to climate change, and improve its ability to attract and retain skilled professionals.
Barcelona’s housing and mobility pressures form part of a wider competition among major European cities for investment and skilled workers. Reporting on an Idealista study put the year-on-year increase in homes listed for sale in Barcelona at 1% in the third quarter of 2026, against a 9% decline across Spain, indicating little growth in the city’s available supply. Barcelona remains one of southern Europe’s leading urban economies, while housing affordability and infrastructure continue to shape its development agenda. Sanfeliu’s term puts those issues alongside international connectivity and the city’s ability to retain specialists who contribute to its economy.
