Catalonia strengthens ties with Silicon Valley to boost AI, innovation and investment

18 May 2026

Catalonia strengthens ties with Silicon Valley to boost AI, innovation, research and investment through new partnerships and tech collaboration.

The President of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, concluded a strategic institutional visit to California aimed at deepening ties with Silicon Valley’s leading technology companies, research centers, and innovation ecosystems, while positioning Catalonia as one of Europe’s top hubs for technology investment and scientific innovation.

Speaking during a meeting with Catalan executives holding senior positions at major global tech companies in Silicon Valley, President Illa stressed that Catalonia is “a pro-technology and pro-science government committed to putting innovation at the service of the common good.”

The visit brings together representatives from some of the world’s most influential technology firms, including Google, OpenAI, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Apple, Meta, Cisco, and HP. Among the executives participating were Oriol Vinyals, Vice President of Research at Google and co-lead of Gemini AI; Joaquín Quiñonero, OpenAI expert and pioneer in responsible AI; and Gemma Garriga, Vice President of Engineering at GitHub and Microsoft.

During the meetings, discussions focused on the role of artificial intelligence in improving public services, accelerating innovation, and strengthening talent exchange between Catalonia and the United States. President Illa emphasized Catalonia’s ambition to reinforce its leadership in technology and innovation through international collaboration and investment partnerships.

As part of the agenda, the Catalan delegation visited leading innovation institutions and companies including Plug and Play, Stanford University, NVIDIA, Super Micro Computer Inc., and SiFive. The president also met with Catalan students and researchers currently working in California’s technology ecosystem.

“Catalonia is a pro-technology and pro-science government committed to putting innovation at the service of the common good”

Salvador Illa, President of the Government of Catalonia.

Catalonia Media City presented in Hollywood

During the Los Angeles leg of the trip, President Illa met with audiovisual companies in Hollywood to present the Catalunya Media City project, an ambitious initiative designed to turn Catalonia into a global strategic hub for audiovisual production, digital content, and professional training.

“The Catalunya Media City project will be an important platform to develop audiovisual projects in Catalonia,” said Illa, highlighting the initiative’s potential to strengthen the region’s creative industries and attract international productions.

Stanford collaboration reinforces Catalonia’s life sciences ecosystem

The delegation also visited the Stanford Mussallem Center for Biodesign to showcase the collaboration between Stanford and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu through the Impact4Kids program.

Since 2020, the initiative has connected innovation ecosystems in Catalonia and the United States to develop breakthrough solutions in pediatric and maternal healthcare, including medical devices, biotechnology, and digital health technologies. The program currently brings together 52 organizations and more than 100 research groups.

Barcelona Supercomputing Center signs new AI agreements

A major milestone of the trip was the signing of new collaboration agreements between the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) and Silicon Valley technology leaders.

The BSC expanded its partnership with NVIDIA to advance sovereign European AI technologies connected to the future MareNostrum 6 supercomputer. It also signed a new agreement with Supermicro, focused on strengthening Europe’s AI and high-performance computing capabilities.

 

Catalonia’s Silicon Valley office: connecting innovation ecosystems

Catalonia has maintained a strong presence in Silicon Valley for more than a decade through the Catalonia Trade & Investment office in the San Francisco Bay Area. The office plays a key role in connecting Catalan startups, technology companies, and research institutions with the US innovation ecosystem, while also helping American companies establish operations in Catalonia.

The Silicon Valley office supports investment projects, corporate innovation partnerships, startup soft-landing programs, and strategic collaborations in areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, digital health, and clean technologies. It has become an important bridge between Catalonia and one of the world’s leading technology hubs.
 

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