Catalonia Trade & Investment breaks records with over €1B in foreign investment attracted in 2024

Catalonia Trade & Investment breaks record in attracting foreign investment with more than 1,000 million euros by 2024, impacting employment with more than 8,000 jobs created and maintained. The Minister of Business and Labour, Miquel Sàmper, announced today that the Government of Catalonia, through ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment, the Business Competitiveness Agency of the Ministry of Business and Labour, has attracted 1,051 million euros in foreign investment in 2024. This is 19% more than last year and the highest figure in the historical series that began in 1985. 

Minister Sàmper also highlighted that the 106 investment projects carried out by foreign companies have created 4,984 jobs, 10% more than in 2023, and maintained 3,245 more jobs. In total, the jobs created and maintained reached 8,229, the highest figure in the historical series so far. Combining these two aspects represents an increase of 44% compared to 2023. In addition, the number of projects covered exceeds 100 for the second time.

These are the main indicators of the annual report of Catalonia Trade & Investment (.PDF), the ACCIÓ unit in charge of attracting and managing foreign investment in Catalonia, presented today in Barcelona at an event attended by the Secretary of Business and Competitiveness and Catalonia Trade & Investment's CEO, Jaume Baró.

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“57% of the companies that invested in Catalonia in 2024 say they plan to do so again in the future”

Jaume Baró, CEO of Catalonia Trade & Investment

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During the press conference, Minister Sàmper highlighted that "the government has attracted 2.9 million euros a day, which clearly shows the importance we attach to working in a sector that is essential for creating opportunities and transforming the Catalan economy". According to Sàmper, "not only is it a crucial task, but it also offers an excellent return on investment, because for every euro of public budget allocated to attracting investment, 275 euros have been received from international companies".

The head of the Department of Business and Labour also praised the work of Catalonia Trade & Investment professionals abroad. 3 out of 10 projects carried out in Catalonia have been identified through Catalonia Trade & Investment's network of 40 foreign trade and investment offices worldwide.

The Secretary for Business and Competitiveness and CEO of Catalonia Trade & Investment, Jaume Baró, assured that "we will continue to work to maintain and improve these results in the future, with more than a thousand projects in the pipeline, many of which we are confident will be realized in Catalonia in the coming years". In this sense, Baró affirmed that "achieving reinvestment and the expansion of investments by companies already established in Catalonia is a cornerstone of Catalonia Trade & Investment's work and 57% of the companies that invested in our country in 2024 say they plan to do so again in the future".

In his presentation of the overall figures, Baró also referred to the analysis over extended periods, to avoid the volatile effect of foreign investment. In this case, the volume of investment attracted by the agency in the last five years (2020-2024) reaches 3,641 million euros, more than double (128% more) than in the previous five-year period (2015-2019). In these last five years, almost 28,000 jobs have been created and maintained (27,990) thanks to the investments of multinationals in Catalonia, 9% more than in the previous five-year period.

Breakdown of foreign investment

In 2024, 64% of the foreign investment attracted by the Government of Catalonia was industrial and technological. Specifically, 37% of projects were in the manufacturing industry, while 27% fell within the technology sector. By industry, the most significant sectors were ICT and electronics (22% of total investment) followed by automotive (14%), the chemical sector (11%), the food industry (7%), and video games (7%).

Furthermore, over half of all investment projects (52%) were directly linked to digital and green transitions, generating and maintaining over 4,000 jobs, representing 50% of the total employment impact.

As regards the origin of the investments, for the second consecutive year, they originated from over 30 different countries, demonstrating the region’s ability to diversify its sources of new projects. The leading investor countries in 2024 were Germany (11% of total projects), United States (9%), France (9%), and China (7%).

Of the 106 foreign investment projects completed in 2024, 34% were greenfield investments, meaning the companies had no prior presence in Catalonia. The remaining 66% were expansions or new investments by companies already established in the region. This combination highlights both Catalonia’s ability to attract new investors and the confidence that multinational companies already operating in Catalonia have in the region.
 

Public support

Catalonia Trade & Investment provides comprehensive advisory services to foreign companies, facilitating investments from new multinational entrants while also supporting expansions and reinvestments by existing companies. This work includes promoting Catalonia abroad, attracting potential investment projects, developing proposals that showcase Catalonia’s assets, providing full advisory services throughout the investment process, and ongoing support for companies once they have established operations in Catalonia.

About Catalonia Trade & Investment

ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment is the public agency belonging to the Catalan Government’s Ministry for Business and Labour, and is dedicated to enabling the growth of Catalan businesses through innovation, international expansion, and strategic development. The agency provides support for R&D projects, green and technological transformation, and internationalization processes, including the establishment of foreign subsidiaries. With a team of 500 professionals and 40 offices worldwide, Catalonia Trade & Investment is also responsible for attracting foreign investment to Catalonia and ensuring that businesses generate a positive impact on the economy and society.