Catalonia positions itself in China as a strategic hub for foreign investment in Europe

​​​​​​​The Catalan Government Minister for Business and Labor, Miquel Sàmper, is leading an institutional mission to China to further strengthen commercial ties between the two, with a particular focus on promoting Catalonia as a key foreign investment hub in Europe. The visit begins this Monday and will continue until Friday, March 28.

The mission is organized by Catalonia Trade & Investment’s International Trade and Investment Offices in China as one of the China Desk’s initiatives. It aims to attract investment projects for production plants, corporate headquarters, and technology centers from Chinese companies, particularly in the mobility and semiconductor sectors.

The Secretary General of the Ministry for Business and Labor, Pol Gibert; the Secretary for Business and Competitiveness and CEO of Catalonia Trade & Investment, Jaume Baró; the Director of Catalonia Trade & Investment in China, Madrona Marcet; and the Head of the China Desk, Qiaoshan Xue, are also part of the Catalan delegation.

The institutional mission will begin in Shanghai and continue through key business hubs in China, including Wuhu, Liyang, Huizhou, and Dongguan, before concluding in Shenzhen.

Specifically, the institutional visit agenda includes several working meetings with Chinese companies such as automaker Chery, EVE Energy, and Dynanonic, which recently announced a €285 million investment in Catalonia, as well as SMM Information & Technology. All these companies are focused on the mobility and battery industry.

Trade relations between Catalonia and China

Over the past five years, foreign investment from China in Catalonia has reached €1.279 billion, leading to the creation of more than 2,300 new jobs, according to data from ACCIÓ - Catalonia Trade & Investment, based on Financial Times’ fDi Markets. Currently, 200 subsidiaries of Chinese companies are established in Catalonia.

ACCIÓ - Catalonia Trade & Investment provides Chinese companies with the China Desk, a one-stop service designed specifically for Chinese investors, offering tailored support that considers their unique business culture and needs. Among its services, the China Desk offers market intelligence to support decision-making, comprehensive investment project management, business location services, fast-track mobility support for executives, and guidance on issues such as incentives and so on.

In 2024, the China Desk managed a portfolio of 112 active projects, hosted over 30 Chinese business delegations, and participated in 35 initiatives promoting Catalonia as an investment destination for Chinese audiences.

Meanwhile, Catalan exports to China totaled €1.829 billion in 2024. More than 1,250 Catalan companies export regularly to the Chinese market, and over 280 Catalan companies have established subsidiaries in China.

Snapshot of foreign investment in Catalonia secured by the government

In 2024, Catalonia Trade & Investment attracted 106 foreign investment projects, resulting in a total investment of €1.051 billion and leading to the creation and retention of 8,229 jobs. For the second consecutive year, investments came from more than 30 different countries, highlighting Catalonia’s ability to diversify its sources of new projects.

The countries with the highest number of investment projects in Catalonia were Germany (11%), the United States (9%), France (9%), and China (7%). Notably, 2024 marked the highest number of Asian investment projects secured by the Government in the past decade, accounting for more than 20% of the total.

64% of the total investment projects were in the industrial and technology sectors. More than half (52%) were directly linked to the digital and green transitions. Additionally, 34% of the 106 foreign investment projects secured in 2024 were greenfield investments, meaning they were established by companies with no prior presence in Catalonia.