Catalonia Trade & Investment supports 23,300 Catalan and international companies in 2018, a 3.3% increase over the previous year

• The Catalan Government’s agency for business competitiveness mobilised almost 1,000 MEUR in investment by Catalan companies and created 13,170 jobs.

The Government of Catalonia supported 23,300 companies, technological centres and entities in 2018 through Catalonia Trade & Investment, the agency for business competitiveness, in order to strengthen their competitiveness in the fields of internationalisation, innovation, startups, fundraising and clusters, as well as promoting foreign investment attraction to Catalonia.

These 23,300 Catalan and international companies (a 3.3% increase over the previous year), mobilised a 997 MEUR invest (+25.5% compared to 2017 figures). These projects have also enabled the creation of 13,170 new jobs (+29.7%).

Catalonia Trade & Investment’s support is materialised through different programs. This includes support to new R+D and innovation projects, the opening of subsidiaries abroad, or the launch of new products and services in foreign countries, among others.

Therefore, one of the agency’s main objectives is the attraction of new foreign investment projects to Catalonia, thus offering comprehensive advice to foreign companies to help them in this process. In 2018, 84 foreign projects were attracted (20% more than the year before), which meant a 322 MEUR investment (+34%) and the creation of 5,455 jobs (+70%). The support to foreign companies is carried out from Barcelona and through the network of 40 Foreign Trade & Investment Offices around the world.

In fact, Catalonia Trade & Investment also helps Catalan companies to internationalize their businesses. In 2018 it has supported 1,640 projects from Catalan companies. More specifically, the network of Foreign Offices supported 1,600 internationalisation projects by Catalan companies which generated 447.5 MEUR in exportation. This means that for every euro of public money spent in these offices, 29.6 euros have been achieved in exportations by Catalan companies.

As for innovation, over 8,100 projects were supported by the agency in 2018 through custom-made services and different funding programs to enable the Catalan business tissue access to innovation and the development of strategic projects. Altogether, Catalan companies have mobilised over 226 MEUR in R+D in 2018.

Moreover, the agency promoted the presence of startups in 12 different events and international congresses such as The Next Web Amsterdam or RISE in Hong Kong so that they could present their projects, connect to the international entrepreneurship ecosystem and look for partners or funding.

Catalonia Trade & Investment also supports Catalan companies in their fundraising. This way, in 2018 the agency accompanied over 3,100 projects from Catalan companies, while it also supported 82 projects carried out by Catalan clusters.