Barcelona’s AI ecosystem showcased in Paris as a global magnet for tech investment

Business leaders and technology experts gathered this week in Paris to discuss Barcelona’s growing role as a leading hub for artificial intelligence. The event, held at the Les Echos–Le Parisien headquarters and moderated by journalist Benoît Georges, highlighted Catalonia’s strong appeal for global tech companies and investors.

Barcelona is currently ranked 3rd worldwide for foreign AI investment in 2025, supported by a combination of talent, research excellence, technological infrastructure, and an expanding innovation ecosystem.

AI as a driver of competitiveness

Opening the session, Jordi Ortiz, Director of Foreign Investment at Catalonia Trade & Investment, emphasized the transformative impact of AI on economic development: "No country can prosper without harnessing artificial intelligence".

Ortiz outlined the key factors behind Barcelona’s momentum: "Barcelona brings together three essential pillars: talent with an academic and research network, infrastructure with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, and a dynamic ecosystem conducive to the creation of startups."
 

“Barcelona is a human-scale city and ecosystem with a very strong talent-retention factor”

Christophe Arnoul, Director of the Catalonia Trade & Investment office in Paris

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A human-scale innovation hub with strong talent retention

Participants highlighted Barcelona’s ability not only to attract but also to retain qualified professionals, an essential asset in today’s competitive global landscape.

Christophe Arnoul, Director of the Catalonia Trade & Investment office in Paris, noted: "Barcelona is a human-scale city and ecosystem with a very strong talent-retention factor."

For Guillaume Rostand, President of French Tech Barcelona, the city has reached a new level of recognition: "Today, Barcelona is considered a serious place with great dynamism where people want to express themselves. There is no need to sell it anymore: it sells itself." He also added, "The retention factor is very important in Barcelona."

A strategic location for multinational companies

Major global companies, including Schneider Electric, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Microsoft, HP, and Porsche AG, have expanded their presence in Catalonia in recent years.

Dina Guermaz, Digital Employee Experience Director at Schneider Electric, explained the company’s commitment to Barcelona: "Barcelona has become a necessary stage for companies’ development. People want to be where talent and the most innovative ideas in the tech field are."

Guermaz also emphasized Catalonia’s high quality of life as a key factor to retain talent: "Quality of life is a very important factor, and turnover is very low; people don’t leave Barcelona."

Reinforcing Europe’s position in the tech race

Representing quantum computing company Pasqal, Nicolas Proust, VP Strategy and Corporate Development, stressed the broader strategic relevance of Barcelona’s ecosystem: "Barcelona’s ecosystem places Europe in a very strong position."

The region’s long-standing research culture and commitment to responsible AI were also highlighted. Montse Guàrdia, Chief People & Culture at IDEADED, explained: "In Barcelona, there are ideas, entrepreneurs, and clients." She added that there is infrastructure linked to academia, such as the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, "which is a spin-off from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia from 20 years ago."

"AI in Catalonia is strongly connected to the territory and to key areas such as health, water, or the blue economy. Catalonia has very strong universities related to humanism and ethical AI. For us, this is very important", Guàrdia stressed.

Catalonia and France: strengthening innovation ties

The conference demonstrated the growing cooperation between Catalonia and France in strategic technology sectors. With a strong research base, competitive talent pool, and an excellent quality of life, Barcelona continues to consolidate its position as one of Europe’s most attractive destinations for AI-driven investment.