Amazon has invested €5 billion in Catalonia in the last decade and generates €340 million in exports

Amazon has reaffirmed its commitment to Catalonia as a driver of economic growth and innovation during the business forum Amazon and Catalonia: Innovation, Talent and a Shared Future, organized with Foment del Treball in Barcelona.

The event was led by Josep Sánchez Llibre, president of Foment del Treball, and included Ruth Díaz, Amazon’s general manager for Spain and Portugal. She highlighted Amazon’s role in Catalonia’s economic, business, cultural, and technological growth.

Since 2016, when the company opened its first automated logistics center in Castellbisbal (Barcelona), Amazon has invested more than €5 billion in Catalonia. This investment includes construction and hiring for its corporate offices, logistics centers, and a software innovation and development center.

Amazon currently employs more than 8,000 people on a permanent basis in Catalonia, ranking among the ten largest employers in the region. According to figures shared during the event, the company’s activity has contributed more than €4 billion to Catalonia’s GDP.

“Catalonia is a strategic region for our business and our commitment is to continue investing here”

Ruth Díaz, General Manager of Amazon Spain and Portugal

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"Catalonia is a strategic region for our business, both in terms of the number of people we employ and the investment we’ve made, as well as the number of small and medium-sized businesses that sell and export through our store. For years, we’ve been working to make technology more accessible so that any Catalan company, regardless of its size, can innovate, grow, and reach customers around the world. Our commitment is to continue investing here, collaborating with the business community, and creating real opportunities, because when Amazon grows, Catalonia grows with us," said Ruth Díaz, General Manager of Amazon Spain and Portugal.

Barcelona-based teams develop global technology solutions

Amazon highlighted its presence in Barcelona as one of its innovation and development centers in Spain, where highly qualified professionals from more than 70 countries work on technological solutions with global impact.

From Barcelona, teams specializing in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision develop technologies that are used globally to improve the customer experience.

During the event, Josep Sánchez Llibre said that only a fraction of companies are actively using artificial intelligence and stressed the need to move from strategy to implementation.

Catalonia leads Spain in SMEs selling through Amazon

The event also highlighted the role of e-commerce in the digitalization and internationalization of Catalan small and medium-sized enterprises.

Currently, 3,700 SMEs in Catalonia sell on Amazon, generating more than €340 million in annual exports. According to the figures presented, Catalonia is the autonomous community with the highest number of SMEs selling on Amazon and the highest export volume through the platform.

According to a recent PwC report, the online sales activity of these companies has contributed more than €550 million to Catalonia’s GDP and created 10,000 jobs linked to their digital activity.

Support for audiovisual production in Catalonia

Amazon also highlighted its contribution to Catalonia’s cultural and creative industries through Prime Video, collaborating with Catalan production companies such as Gestmusic and Mediapro. Projects mentioned during the event included Operación Triunfo, produced at the Parc Audiovisual de Catalunya, and the series Day One, filmed at locations including the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the ALBA Synchrotron.

Source: Foment de Treball