The aging of the citizenry represents a major challenge for the country's labor market. Currently, according to data collected by the Generalitat's Labor and Productive Model Observatory, one in five employed people in Catalonia –which is equivalent to 825,600 workers– are 55 years old or older and, therefore, are expected to leave the labor market in the next ten years. In fact, the same organization's estimates indicate that, although there are currently 1.6 million people over 65 years of age, representing nearly 20% of the country's population, by 2045, it is estimated that the figure will rise to 2.4 million, which will be equivalent to nearly 30% of the total citizenry.

The food company Pastas Gallo, born in Rubí in 1946, is the paradigmatic example of a complicated family succession. With a widely recognized brand, innovation as its hallmark, and consolidated results, the disagreements among the five children of the founder, José Espona, led the heirs to divest their majority stake in 2019 and sell it to the Madrid private equity fund Proa Capital. Although three of the five brothers later returned to the group – albeit with lower participation than initially – the company lost part of its essence. Two years after the operation, Pastas Gallo moved the production of dry pasta from Granollers to Córdoba, and during the last two available financial years – with the asterisk of having faced investments of more than 50 million euros – it has registered losses that have exceeded six million euros.

Wine is such a passion that it inspires generational succession, but making it a reality isn't always easy. Barcelona Wine Week (BWW), the professional trade fair for Spanish wine, which celebrated its sixth edition this week, explored in depth how wineries and winemakers manage to persevere through the decades. Almost everyone wants their wines to have their own character, something that might not be so easy when it comes to a family-owned winery. That's why some have projects outside the family business to make wine with greater freedom.

Laia de Nadal (Barcelona, ​​​​1972) has been president of the Catalan Association of Public Universities (ACUP) since the beginning of the year. She has been rector of Pompeu Fabra University for almost two years. As a professor of medicine and life sciences, she co-directed the Cell Signaling Research Group, affiliated with the Barcelona Biomedical Research Institute.