At a time when local businesses are struggling to survive against the pressure of large digital platforms and changing consumer habits, innovation has become a necessity rather than an option. In this context, initiatives like Komerz, planned by the Girona Chamber of Commerce for November 15th, emerge as a breath of fresh air for a sector seeking to reinvent itself. Komerz is a hackathon—an intensive event focused on innovation, learning, and collaborative work—organized by the Girona Chamber of Commerce with the support of the Directorate General of Commerce. Over a weekend, young talent, businesses, and professionals from the region come together to address real challenges facing local businesses, contributing both technological and non-technological ideas and solutions.

Illegal street vending, drugs on public streets, and skyrocketing filth. This is what many residents and shopkeepers in Barcelona's Sant Antoni neighborhood have been experiencing for months. "We've reached the limit: either we report it now or it will get worse. We want a political reaction," say Sant Antoni Encants, one of the neighborhood associations that issued a letter on Monday to the Eixample and Ciutat Vella city councils to express their discontent over the "deterioration it is suffering." In it, they detail that the increase in uncivil behavior affects neighborhood coexistence and, in turn, has a direct impact on local businesses.