Overseas investment in barcelona

Despite the overall economic downturn of the last few years, barcelona has managed to return its best figures for foreign direct investment in the last ten years.

the results have just been published in a field study made by the prestigious business school esade, entitled “overseas investment in the barcelona area,” commissioned by barcelona city council. the report records that overseas inward investment in the catalan capital reached nearly €4 billion in 2010, dropping to a little under €3.1 billion the following year. along these lines, the report also brings to light the fact that between 2006 – 2010 the number of foreign firms present in catalonia rose by 13%.

this encouraging trend is due to a host of reasons according to the author of the study, esade lecturer, xavier mendoza:

“firstly, there is the massive investment being undertaken by the chinese group hutchinson in the port of barcelona, which has brought out the true value of the city’s logistical potential as the key south european gateway for goods from asia.” “further to this, the increase in investments being made in barcelona’s hotel properties by a number of key hotel chains in recent years has helped the city consolidate its position as a class tourist destination, and in addition it has shown itself more than capable of attracting the location of central services of a host of multinational firms, all of which go to explain why investment in barcelona is thriving at present.”

source: la vanguardia, 20/05/2012