€50 million investment to triple DFactory Barcelona’s innovation space

The expansion of DFactory Barcelona officially kicked off yesterday to create 1,500 direct jobs through an investment of approximately 50 million euros. The project began with a groundbreaking ceremony for new facilities that will triple the currently available space.

This expansion will allow the site to grow from its current 17,000 square meters to 60,000 square meters, consolidating the city’s position as a premier international hub for Industry 4.0. Beyond direct employment, the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB) estimates the project will generate an additional 5,000 indirect jobs. Currently, the DFactory ecosystem houses 300 direct and 1,200 indirect workers. 

The expansion will feature four new buildings dedicated to manufacturing, laboratories, technological innovation, and major international events, such as the 1,100-square-meter "Cub" building. Construction is expected to finish in 2026, with the first companies scheduled to move in by early 2027.

“Here at DFactory, we make it possible for companies, technology, talent, universities, and institutions to work together so that innovation truly happens”

Blanca Sorigué, Director General of the CZFB

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Currently, the ecosystem is home to 44 technology companies that have developed 63 patents. The workforce is highly specialized, with 45% of employees holding university degrees and 20% possessing a PhD. 

Furthermore, about a third of the resident companies are international, hailing primarily from Europe, the United States, and Asia.

Barcelona accelerates its Industry 4.0 vision

During the ceremony, the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, emphasized that "today we are laying the first stone of a major project that creates new urban spaces and physically represents the city’s progress in a new area, with a new way of producing that is the way of the future: Industry 4.0,". He added: "Catalonia and Barcelona have made industry one of its hallmarks and a key driver of progress and transformation, and we are committed to an industry that is sustainable, compatible with urban life, and strongly focused on talent, added value, technology, and innovation."

Pere Navarro, Executive President of the CZFB, described the project as a "decisive step" in transforming the Zona Franca into a "District 4.0". "We are building a strategic project, unique in the world, that continues to grow to consolidate Barcelona as a benchmark for the new industry. Today, 44 technology companies have already committed to this ecosystem, turning DFactory into one of the most important Industry 4.0 hubs in Europe, where talent, technology, and business are connected, and where new projects and partnerships are created."

Additionally, Blanca Sorigué, Director General of the CZFB, stated that "at DFactory we provide the runway for companies to innovate, connecting different worlds through public–private collaboration. Here, we make it possible for companies, technology, talent, universities, and institutions to work together so that innovation truly happens. With this expansion, we will triple DFactory’s space and consolidate it as one of Europe’s major technological industrial ecosystems."

Looking beyond traditional industrial sectors, this new phase makes a firm commitment to attracting technology companies in health, food, and advanced agro-industry.

Strategically located just ten minutes from the city center and positioned between Barcelona's Port and Airport, the 4.0 District aims to become a global benchmark in industrial innovation. 

By connecting talent, technology, and public-private collaboration, the project seeks to accelerate the digital transformation of the region's industry and solidify Barcelona as a world capital for the industry of the future.

Source: DFactory