New exhibition centre project underway to consolidate Lleida as Catalonia's second trade fair capital
It will feature cutting-edge technology and greater capacity to host events in different formats
Eduard Martín Lineros, computer engineer expert in technological innovation and public sector management, new director of Fira de Lleida
The new Fira de Lleida exhibition centre, with an area of 116,000 m2 (approximately 35,000 m2 more than the current one), will be characterised by "versatility" and "multifunctionality", that is, it will allow activities of different types in addition to hosting trade fairs. According to Fèlix Larrosa, Mayor of Lleida and President of the Board of Trustees of Fira de Lleida, the exhibition centre will house 5 halls of 5,000 m2 and the current demountable hall, which will mean a total of more than 27,000 m2 of covered area, in addition to underground car parks located beneath the buildings.
These figures were presented during a meeting of the Board of Trustees of Fundació La Fira de Lleida held this morning at the Lleida Chamber of Commerce and Industry. During the meeting, approval was given to launch the procurement process for the call for tenders for the drafting of the preliminary project for the new Fira de Lleida exhibition centre, which in a first phase would include urban planning reorganisation of the exhibition centre and the drafting of the Fira Zero project, or "visitor reception hall" (the first to be built), as well as provision for the location of the remaining halls.
The Mayor has stressed that the new exhibition centre will consolidate Lleida as Catalonia's second trade fair capital, after Barcelona, and will improve Fira de Lleida's attractiveness as a venue for new events. Likewise, he has valued very positively the economic impact it will have on the city and surrounding territory (in sectors such as commerce, hospitality, catering, transport) and has stated that it will also contribute to job creation, as it will drive service companies, so that direct and induced jobs could increase from 419 to 532. Larrosa has highlighted that the new exhibition centre project is further excellent news for Lleida, following the final approval of the new Torreblanca industrial estate last March.
Larrosa has explained that projects must present studies on external mobility (access to the centre from the city) and internal mobility, as well as their adaptation to the urban landscape, especially on the riverside margin, with special attention to the connection with La Llotja de Lleida. Technological capacity and sustainability are other requirements requested for a space that is also designed as a climate refuge.
The aspects that the basic project must include are the delimitation of the exhibition centre with a main access control, the creation of underground car parks, the implementation of good internal and external mobility, signage, security, common services of the main building (Fira de Lleida offices, catering, control systems) and, as a singular element, the integration of the Seròs canal into the trade fair complex.
Regarding the versatile nature of the exhibition centre, the Mayor has stated that the Board of Trustees is in contact with all cultural, social and economic associations in the city potentially interested in organising activities in the open-air area of the centre, such as the Aplec del Caragol, so that celebrations can be held "with all necessary services and in more than dignified conditions".
The tender is structured in two phases, the eligibility assessment phase, with a period of 3 months from the call for tenders (after which the 5 best design practices will be selected and formal invitations will be sent for the drafting of the preliminary basic project) and a second phase, with a period of 9 months, for the drafting of the basic project.
These phases have a budget of 66,000 euros, while the budget for the executive project drafting phase and works supervision by the winning practice is approximately one million euros. The estimated period for completion of this part of the works — urban planning reorganisation and Fira Zero Hall — is approximately 4 years (completion expected around the end of 2030). Larrosa has recalled the Generalitat de Catalunya's commitment to financing this project, which overall could represent an investment of 100 million euros, and has stated that the current Fira de Lleida premises are located in a future residential area that will also generate significant capital gains.
New director of Fira de Lleida
During the meeting, approval was also given to the appointment of the new General Director of Fira de Lleida, Eduard Martín Lineros, elected by the Assessment Committee following a competitive call launched by the Board of Trustees at the end of last year. Born in Barcelona in 1965 and resident in Lleida, Martín Lineros holds a degree in Computer Science and a technical degree in Systems Computing from the Open University of Catalonia, with over 30 years of work experience in the information technology and telecommunications sector, and is an expert in technological innovation and in the creation of public-private consortia and in management and direction in the public sphere.
Martín Lineros is currently CIO of the Mobile World Capital Foundation in Barcelona and leads the Barcelona 5G Alliance, the Digital Areas project and the National 5G Observatory. As a lecturer, he collaborates with the Open University of Catalonia, the University of Lleida and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. Among other awards, in 2024 he received the Male Professional award at the II National Computer Engineering Awards and in 2023 he won the Best Professional Career Award.
Throughout his career, among other responsibilities, he worked for 27 years at the Barcelona City Council, where he held various positions related to computing. He was Director of Innovation, Knowledge Society and IT Architectures. He was also Director of Smart Cities and Public Sector Strategy at Sopra Steria, a well-known international consulting firm. Additionally, he was Dean of the Official Association of Computer Engineers of Catalonia from 2016 to 2023, where he contributed to raising the profile of the profession.
Positive economic result
Finally, the Board of Trustees approved the annual accounts for 2025 of Fira de Lleida. According to Jaume Saltó, President of the Lleida Chamber of Commerce and President of the Delegated Committee of the Trade Fair, the financial year ended with a positive balance of 735,827 €. Given that the trade fair entity's accounts are calculated on a biennial basis and the 2024 result was -479,000 €, the global result for the 2024-25 biennium was positive, at nearly 257,000 €. With these figures, the trend initiated in 2008 of achieving a positive result each biennium is consolidated (a trend only interrupted by the Covid and PostCovid biennium).