Developing interactive applications, researching new mobility systems for 2035 and designing sustainable wearable fashion are just some of the projects opportunities offered on the courses taught at IED Barcelona Design University

Barcelona is a city that promotes new technologies and sustainability. It is committed to the economy and activities in advanced services and offers interesting business and investment opportunities that require new skills from the labour market. IED Barcelona Design University works with companies and existing initiatives to identify current needs and train the professionals of the future in the tools they require to promote, develop and manage innovative projects.

Barcelona is one of the top five cities in Europe for start-ups and holds the 5th place in the EU start-up ranking. By itself, Catalonia receives over half of Spain's investments in emerging companies. This success is due to the number of trade shows and international conferences held here in the areas of innovation and technology, such as the Mobile World Congress (MWC), 4YFN, Barcelona Startupweek and the IOT Solutions World Congress.

A comprehensive overview shows that at this time training in new methodologies is the key to professional success. IED Barcelona teaches its students to understand how to analyse the technological and entrepreneurial environment, identify areas for improvement and propose competitive solutions. To do so, it makes use of methodologies that spark innovation, such as Design Thinking and Lego® Serious Play.

In order to present the trends developed by its students, the school actively participates in the city’s initiatives. For example, IED took part in the latest edition of Moblie World Congress, at which the latest research into fashion wearables for YoMo Festival was on display and interactive applications were presented at the electronic festival Sonar +D.

Barcelona is also the venue for the Smart City World Congress. In 2015 it was named a Global Smart City by Juniper Research and in 2014 it won the iCapital - European Capital of Innovation award for its management of technological resources, transport, energy and sustainable services. Mobility is a key factor in developing smart cities, so IED Barcelona creates designs that offer new transportation systems for the cities of the future like the projects designed in collaboration with SEAT.

Another feature of the modern day company structure is the multidisciplinary team. Mixed groups of professionals contribute to the development of more effective, creative and innovative proposals. For this reason, the school cooperates on international projects with other universities, including ESADE Business School and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. One example is the Challenge Based Innovation (CBI) initiative, in which engineering, design and business students offer solutions to real problems in collaboration with the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

With Barcelona as their framework for action, students have the opportunity to experience the world of work as it really is and see the new role that creative professionals need to play today. IED offers a unique experience for sharing and building a solid, forward-looking career, backed by the best professionals from the sector and the latest trends in innovation.

About IED Barcelona Design University iedbarcelona.es

Since 1966, Istituto Europeo di Design has been providing academic training in the disciplines of Design, Fashion, Visual Arts, Communication and Management at its centres in Milan, Rome, Florence, Turin, Venice, Cagliari, Como, Madrid, Barcelona, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Since its opening, more than 130,000 students have graduated and every year it attracts more than 10,000 students from all over the world. IED focuses on organising teaching projects and traineeships linked to corporate reality and has signed more than 1,000 business agreements over its 50 years of experience.

The IED Barcelona campus is in the district of Gràcia. Since 2002 it became consolidated as one of the most important schools in design training and was recognised as a School of Official Studies in Design by the regional government of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya), offering Undergraduate Degrees in Product Design, Interior Design, Fashion Design and Graphic Design, in addition to university diplomas (IED Diplomas) in Management for Creative Industries, Bachelors of Arts (Honours) validated by the University of Westminster, masters and postgraduates courses, continuing study programs and summer courses, that every year draw in nearly 1,000 students from more than 100 different countries, thanks to the school's multicultural and interdisciplinary environment.