BSM, as the company responsible for managing the venue, will be offering the Parc del Fòrum to the Barcelona East School of Engineering (EEBE) e-Tech Racing team to create the first single-seater in Spain equipped with engines designed and produced by the students themselves
Parc del Fòrum and the electromobility network Endolla Barcelona are the university team’s sponsors
Parc del Fòrum will be the testing ground for the new electric vehicle being developed by the e-Tech Racing team, comprising students of the Barcelona East School of Engineering (EEBE) at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia – BarcelonaTech (UPC). This year the university team is creating a new model that will make it the first team in Spain and the second in Europe to fit its single-seater with engines that are fully designed and produced by the students themselves.
Use of Parc del Fòrum is included in the agreement signed between BSM and the UPC, which also provides for sponsorship of the team by the Park and the electromobility network, Endolla Barcelona.
This alliance dates back to 2018 and forms part of Parc del Fòrum’s action plan to generate a social return in the local area in which it is located. In this case, through collaboration in one of the projects emerging from the UPC Diagonal-Besòs Campus.
Over the course of the year, Parc del Fòrum will also head a series of social initiatives aimed at fostering equal opportunities and the participation of local residents from the Besòs i el Maresme neighbourhood in the activities it hosts.
Commitment to electromobility as a mechanism for improving quality of life in the city
Sponsorship of the e-Tech Racing team is part of BSM’s commitment to developing and promoting sustainable mobility through projects such as Endolla Barcelona, Spain's biggest public electromobility network.
Endolla Barcelona currently has 1,000 charging points installed across the city and more than 3,300 active users with an average of 14,000 recharges per month.
Endolla Barcelona is pursuing a capillary expansion strategy to ensure uniform coverage across all Barcelona’s neighbourhoods. The growth of the network, which has received EU Next Generation funds, continues to facilitate the switch to electric vehicles for people in Barcelona who have no access to charging points at home or work.
University innovation in electromobility
In recent years, the UPC e-Tech Racing team has participated in competitions such as Formula Student Spain, Formula Student Netherlands and Formula Student Germany, which have put the reliability, endurance and speed of Wall-e, the student's latest electric vehicle, to the test.
The new prototype will keep Wall-e’s emblematic aspects, such as collaboration with Tesla for the use of the manufacturer's batteries, and will incorporate new aerodynamic and design features that will be put to the test at Parc del Fòrum.
Promoting careers in science and technology
As well as sponsoring the e-Tech Racing team, BSM and the UPC help to organise the STEAM programme for promoting careers in science and technology among secondary school students, particularly girls.
In 2023, more than 7,500 students participated in the five STEAM events that were held in iconic venues in Barcelona such as Parc del Fòrum, Palau Sant Jordi, Tibidabo Amusement Park, the Zoo and Park Güell. The high levels of participation and the educational aspect of the programme have made it an important fixture on the city’s science and education calendar.