
Barcelona, proud to host the 37th America's Cup in 2024.
Barcelona will host the 37th America's Cup, offering a unique opportunity for international companies to explore this thriving business region.

Why Barcelona-Catalonia works for you
Barcelona-Catalonia is open to business and open to the world. A talented proactive workforce in a dynamic business climate offers international companies numerous competitive advantages.
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Industrial Ecosystem -
Facts and Figures -
Scientific Facilities -
Research and Innovation -
Strategic Location
Industrial Ecosystem
Catalonia’s economy is industrially-based and rivals any other location in Spain and in Europe. Industry represents 19.8% of Catalan GDP, above Spain’s average, and manufacturing and industry related services amount to 50% of the global GDP.
The manufacturing industry is a strong asset for the Catalan economy and an important driver of employment and prosperity. In fact, Catalonia is the 6th European region by number of professionals employed in manufacturing activities (2020).
Facts and Figures
Located in the north-east of Spain and with 7,7 million inhabitants, Barcelona-Catalonia is the most competitive economy in Southern Europe. It concentrates 25% of the Spanish industry and its GDP is similar, for instance, to Finland’s.
Historically a trading nation, its strategic location in the Mediterranean and its transport infrastructures, as well as its entrepreneurial and business friendly economy, have made it a top location in the south of Europe. Add to that a capital city, Barcelona, that is an unbeatable meeting point for international business.
Scientific Facilities
An extensive network of scientific and tech centers in Barcelona-Catalonia connect our talent at all levels, while empowering numerous prestigious applied and basic research groups that make tech transfer an ongoing reality in all sectors.
Catalonia is home to top scientific facilities in Spain, such as the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia, the Institute of Photonic Sciences, the Alba Synchrotron, Barcelona’s prestigious Biomedical Research Park, and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center.
Research and Innovation
Thanks to its dynamic research culture Catalonia is today consolidating its role as an industrial, R&D and tech investment magnet. Not only is it, in fact, the region that received the most R&D investment projects in all of Europe (fDi Markets, 2021), tech investment itself has grown 85% over the last five years with a record figure of 320 projects.
Today, Catalonia is home to the highest number of innovative companies in Spain. It also leads the way in European patent applications, while over 50% of Catalan exports show high to medium-high technological levels. It leads within Spain in R&D investment with 44.6% of total investment in 2021 according to fDi markets.
Strategic Location
Barcelona- Catalonia is a coastal Mediterranean location in Southern Europe, bordering France and located in the north-east of Spain. The logistics network can access 400 million consumers in less than 48 hours by different means of transport: plane, train, vessel or truck.
With excellent transportation systems, it is the ideal place from where to reach markets in Europe, the Americas, North Africa, and Asia. Thanks to its close ties with Latin America, due to cultural, language and historical links, it is the natural gateway from Europe to markets in that region. Its capital, Barcelona, is one of the few cities in Southern Europe with full-modal transport integration (sea, airport, motorways & railways) within a 12-kilometre radius, each with global connectivity.

Discover Barcelona-Catalonia’s top industries and technologies.
Strongly industrialized, Catalonia is one of Southern Europe’s main economic powerhouses as well as one of the world’s top spots to live & work. A wide and dynamic industrial base with strong connections to ICT, mobile & smart solutions makes it easy to find suppliers for any specific area of business in Catalonia.
Success stories.
Check out the testimonials of international companies that have already invested in Catalonia (Spain).
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Barcelona-Catalonia: Leading the Smart Cities Revolution
International Events
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Cluster Day Barcelona 2023: Leadership for the Good Future
International Events
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Alstom, a Success Story: Manufacturing Trains from Barcelona-Catalonia
Business Investments
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Barcelona's Exponential Day: John Elkington on the next stage in the Sustainability Revolution
Catalan Economy · Tech & Digital Transformation
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07 Dec 2023
Two Catalan companies awarded by the European Commission (EC) for their innovation
Both Catalan startups have been recognized by the Innovation Radar Prize 2023, organized by the EC and the Dealflow.eu platform, aimed at identifying high-potential innovative projects.
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07 Dec 2023
Barcelona is home to three of Europe's top 30 business schools
These schools are IESE Business School, ESADE, and EADA, with IESE ranking in 3rd place, ESADE in 12th place, and EADA in 30th place.
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06 Dec 2023
Fira de Barcelona will expand by 25%, strengthening its position among the world's leading trade fairs
Catalan Economy
With a budget of 498 million euros, this project is part of the Trade Fair Infrastructure Plan and is expected to be completed in 2026.
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05 Dec 2023
Catalonia participates in a €7 million European project to accelerate the recycling of photovoltaic panels
Chemistry & Sustainability
The project, called RETRIEVE, will last 3.5 years and will demonstrate the efficiency of using different technologies to recycle components such as glass, silicon, silver, polymers, or heavy metals to produce photovoltaic panels.
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29 Nov 2023
American multinational Bunge creates more than 60 new jobs in its Barcelona hub
Business Investments · Food & Beverage
Bunge's recently renovated offices already house 280 employees working in areas such as industrial and digital operations, talent management, and commercial relations.
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29 Nov 2023
French company Lhyfe to build hydrogen plant in Tarragona and create 300 jobs
Business Investments · Chemistry & Sustainability · Manufacturing
The 15 MW green hydrogen production plant will deliver up to 5 tons of green hydrogen daily to local industrial customers.