The crisis of the pandemic
will be what we make of it

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has affected all levels of business activities throughout the world. According to the Spanish Entrepreneurship Observatory, the Covid-19 crisis in 2020 had resulted in a halt to entrepreneurial activity. In Spain, Total Entrepreneurial Activity Rate (TEA) fell by 1.0% due to a reduction in new initiatives.

However, opportunities arise out of crisis. As Albert Einstein had once said:
 
‍“The crisis is necessary for humanity to advance. Only in moments of crisis do great minds emerge”.  

That is the main silver lining of the pandemic as we see it. This current and on-going crisis that we are experiencing further illustrates the possibilities that can arise, and if there is anyone who would know this phrase better, it is the entrepreneurial collective. Especially the businesses that were disrupted and the ones that have caused disruption throughout the pandemic, as many have pivoted to meet new needs for goods or services borne out of the crisis.

If undertaking both economic and health transformation is not an easy task in times of peace, doing it in times of a pandemic has tested our limits as to how complex this challenge really is. In these entrepreneurial hands though, is the possibility of transforming an economic and health crisis into an ecosystem of opportunities. One that can respond to the never-ending problems and challenges that society must face, whether in the form of new mutant variants of diseases or long-existing problems in the industry and ecosystems that they work in.

As the global economy learns to live with Covid-19 and businesses continue to learn to navigate around the new normal, we foresee an exponential increase in entrepreneurship. Based on the latest data from the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) it shows that the Small Business Optimism Index (SMOI) was measured at 99.7% in July 2021 which was higher than it was in 2016. However, it is yet to be seen whether this optimism can be sustained as we learn to accept the new normal that we continue to live in, both as an individuals and as ongoing businesses.    Given all that has happened, 2022 looks promising around the world and at BCN we intend to ride this new wave of optimism. The concept of one health is wat we believe in and we are working closely with scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs to bring to the ASEAN region, the best solutions to improve people’s lives, as well as their health and the current condition of our planet.

In the past year, we conducted several activities, most of them related to vaccines, technology transfer, and the export of medical supplies. In 2022 our focus will be on climate change and sustainability. We have promising solutions in our portfolio, such as AURA, an environmental risk management platform, CINWAM, a digital platform for infectious waste management, as well as a state-of-the-art biodegradable packaging called Bioclasspack.  

We are looking forward to working together with you in this new year and we hope that the opportunity for all of us to bring positive impact to Malaysia and the ASEAN region, with the cooperation of both the private and public sector.

‍Article written by Jordi Pol Ramon

The crisis of the pandemic will be what we make of it

Without a doubt, this global crisis is being one of the most serious, if not the most, in our recent history. Only by acknowledging what has happened with rigor and awareness, we can empower ourselves for the future. Being optimistic, good things could have happened and I would like to highlight a collaborative attitude on the part of everyone. The lockdowns have given us space to share more at home, also with friends and co-workers around the world with our endless calls in all time zones. But in reality, being at the touch of a click is not being together. We have digitized ourselves in every way, we have seen governments dare to speak of health more than their own professionals, and meanwhile our freedoms are being compromised little by little. All this has happened because all of us, without being aware, have allowed it.

In Kuala Lumpur, during the long confinements that we have suffered (we are still limited and controlled) we have seen that the collaborative economy platforms have been the ones that have kept us together, being the grab riders the ones who brought us the meals of the few restaurants that remained open, or the packages of the online stores of the big and 'beloved' platforms. The small merchants in my neighborhood are gone. We have allowed few to control, monitor and even 'force' us to consume, putting the planet in danger, and governments to manage credentials on us that limit our future.

As I said in the title, this crisis will be what we make of it and only with public / private collaborations that empower the ecosystem, and using what science, technology and innovation offer us under a democratic framework, together we can build this famous 'new normal', that is to say the pure and hard reality that we have created.

The good news is that Barcelona brings together all that has been said, and it is up to us to take the lead. Because if not someone else will do it for us and create the reality they want. The people from and of Barcelona around the world must acknowledge its creative value, put a competitive price on it, that allows a sustainable cycle from an economic, environmental and social point of view, paying respect and gratitude to previous generations for the legacy they have left us.

Let's make this crisis something good that makes us forget how bad we have been, and something to appreciate for those who are to come.

La crisis de la pandemia será lo que hagamos de ella

Sin duda esta crisis global está siendo una de las más graves, sino la mas, de nuestra historia reciente. Solamente reconociendo lo que ha pasado con rigor y consciencia, podremos empoderarnos para el futuro. Siendo optimista, han pasado cosas que pudieran ser buenas y quisiera destacar una actitud colaborativa por parte de todos. Los confinamientos nos han dado espacio para compartir mas en casa, también con amigos y compañeros de trabajo en todo el mundo con nuestras interminables llamadas en todos los husos horarios. Pero en realidad, estar al toque de un click no es estar juntos. Nos hemos digitalizado en todos los sentidos, hemos visto a los gobiernos atreverse a hablar de salud más que sus propios profesionales y/o científicos, y mientras tanto nuestras libertades comprometiéndose poco a poco cada vez más. Todo esto ha pasado porque todos nosotros, sin ser conscientes, lo hemos permitido.

En Kuala Lumpur, durante los largos confinamientos que hemos sufrido (todavía estamos limitados y controlados) hemos visto que las plataformas de economía colaborativa han sido las que nos han mantenido unidos, siendo los transportistas los que nos hacían llegar a nuestras casas las comidas de los pocos restaurantes que aguantaron abiertos, o los paquetes de las tiendas online de las grandes y ‘amadas’ plataformas. Los pequeños comerciantes de mi barrio ya no están. Hemos dejado que pocos nos controlen, monitoricen e incluso ‘obliguen’ a consumir poniendo en jaque al planeta, y a los gobiernos a gestionar unas credenciales sobre nosotros que nos limitan el futuro.

Como decía en el título, esta crisis será lo que hagamos de ella y solamente con colaboraciones publico/privadas, que empoderen al ecosistema, y usando lo que nos ofrece la ciencia, tecnología e innovación bajo un marco democrático, entre todos podemos construir este famoso ‘new normal’, es decir la realidad pura y dura que hemos creado.

La buena noticia es que Barcelona reúne todo lo dicho, y depende de nosotros que tomemos el liderazgo. Porque si no otro lo hará por nosotros y creará la realidad que deseen. Desde ya, los barceloneses en todo el mundo debemos reconocer nuestro valor creativo, ponerle un precio que permita un ciclo sostenible desde el punto de vista económico, medioambiental y social, rindiendo respecto y gratitud a las generaciones anteriores por el legado que nos han dejado y que tanto trabajo y esfuerzo les costó.

Hagamos de esta crisis algo bueno que nos haga olvidar lo mal que lo hemos pasado, y algo a apreciar paralos que están por venir.