Leeds’ leading business leaders returned to Barcelona in March this year with the sole aim of obtaining immediate results from their trip. Their visit to the Catalan capital was more positive and led to debates and discussions on various synergies with Leeds.
The intensive programme included over 30 events spanning three days, comprising various sectors like Leeds Legal, Financial Leeds, Creative Leeds and the Leeds Hotel Association, all aimed at establishing productive and sustainable relationships. Leeds Legal, for instance, reached an agreement to work in partnership with the Barcelona Bar Association. They will welcome a delegation to Leeds of twenty Catalan lawyers, enabling professional exchanges between the two cities: Leeds and Barcelona.
Financial Leeds representatives visited the Barcelona Stock Exchange and obtained some positive feedback from local business people on investing in Leeds with coal, materials and engineering technologies. Howard Kew, the chief executive of Financial Leeds, said: “It was important for us to talk about the Leeds City Region as a whole. This is when we achieved understanding from metropolitan Barcelona with a critical mass to be taken seriously.”