Barcelona as an epicenter of science and innovation with the creation of the Barcelona Science Innovation District

The manager Stoneshield Capital, through its Life Science and innovation platform, Deeplabs, has completed the acquisition of five assets located in the towns of Sant Joan Despí and Esplugues de Llobregat, with the ambition of establishing the first nerve center for science and innovation in Catalonia.

This project, called Barcelona Science Innovation District (BaSID), represents a significant investment of more than 200 million euros and will cover a total area of approximately 75,000 square meters.

The main objective of Stoneshield Capital is to promote Barcelona as a benchmark in infrastructure for science and innovation. As explained by Javier de Pablo, co-CEO of Deeplabs, «BaSID will become the first private Life Science hub in Catalonia», offering cutting-edge facilities for companies, entities and research centers that demand this type of space, which are currently scarce in Spain.

BaSID has as its model the successful MaSID, the first Life Science innovation hub in Spain, located in Tres Cantos (Madrid), where numerous companies in the sector operate. This scientific and technological district approach, led by Deeplabs, has precedents in other countries but represents a novelty in Spain. According to Pilar Gil, co-CEO and CSO of Deeplabs, this initiative introduces a new standard of advanced scientific hub, crucial to improving the competitiveness of the sector in the country.

Barcelona debates the expansion of El Prat airport

Aena plans to build a hotel at El Prat airport as part of a strategic plan to promote hotel establishments near airports in five Spanish cities, including Barcelona.

The consulting firm Catella, specialized in real estate investments, has been advising Aena since January and anticipates that real estate projects could begin within three years. Currently, Catella is focused on analyzing the tourism sector and business travel in Barcelona, as well as hotel trends and needs near the airport.

The award of the project, for which five large national real estate companies competed, was carried out for an amount of 1.52 million euros. This news comes amid debates about the expansion of Barcelona airport, with proposals to extend one of the runways.

Catalan employers and businessmen agree on the need to expand El Prat, arguing that its capacity was at its limit before the pandemic, and that the lack of expansion could affect the competitiveness of the city in terms of attracting foreign investment compared to other European capitals, like Madrid.

The Mobile World Congress exceeds expectations with more than 101,000 attendees and million-dollar commercial agreements

This year, the Mobile World Congress (MWC) hosted more than 101,000 attendees from 205 countries. 59% represented industries adjacent to the mobile ecosystem.

If we go into the details of the figures, the MWC was attended by 2,600 journalists, 2,700 exhibitors and 1,100 speakers, of which 51% hold a business position at the level of director or higher, including 21% of senior executives.


Catalan participation in the MWC and 4YFN, supported by the Generalitat of Catalonia, expects to generate 18.4 million euros of turnover in 12 months, and 12% of companies have already signed agreements during the congress. With more than 3,179 meetings and visits, 44% with international professionals, and a record of 24,880 visitors in the Catalan pavilions, MWC Barcelona continues to be a global stage for innovation and technology in Catalonia.

Barcelona is preparing to be the world capital of architecture in 2026

Barcelona is preparing to assume the role of capital of architecture in a synergistic collaboration with professional and cultural entities, institutions, schools and citizens, thus becoming the epicenter.

For ten months, from Santa Eulalia to Santa Lucía, activities will be carried out in the ten districts of the city, which will include exhibitions, routes, workshops, open days, installations, conferences and competitions, with the objective of highlighting the heritage and local talent, while promoting understanding of the importance of urban planning and architecture.

In addition, Barcelona will host the Congress of the International Union of Architects, where contemporary challenges will be addressed, such as climate change and access to housing.

The event also seeks to leave a lasting legacy, with the creation of a large-scale model of the city and a competition to intervene in urban party walls, promoting values of habitability, sustainability and biodiversity.

Ahead of the big event in 2026, Architecture Weeks in 2024 and 2025 will offer a wide range of activities to engage the community.

At MIPIM, Barcelona Catalonia positions the Catalan capital and its metropolitan area on the world map of Life Sciences and the innovation economy

  • Barcelona Catalonia attends the real estate fair in Cannes MIPIM 2024 which starts today and runs until this Friday, March 15.
  • The delegation has once again incorporated public and private partners to offer a joint offer to the foreign investor.
  • Projects such as Parc de l’Alba, 22@Nord or the GranVia Biopol project stand out.

 

Barcelona Catalonia, formed by the Generalitat de Catalunya, through INCASÒL, the Barcelona City Council and the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB), will attend the MIPIM 2024 real estate fair, the 17th edition in which it will participate. This year the real estate fair, one of the largest trade fairs for property and investment in Europe, takes place in Cannes (France) from March 12 to 15.

In this year’s edition, MIPIM wants to influence and accelerate the transformation of the urban environment. It also wants to become a space where concrete solutions can be proposed and the international real estate community connected to create more sustainable, livable and prosperous places for people. In this context, the fair is an opportunity to explain the strategic projects that are being developed in Barcelona, in the metropolitan area and throughout Catalonia.

Under the motto Making IT happen!Barcelona Catalonia will present projects from all over the Catalan territory with different investment opportunities for all sectors, presenting Barcelona and Catalonia as an ideal area for investments and new projects while reaffirming the its commitment to inclusive, sustainable and cohesive development models.

Barcelona Catalonia Conference: The Science & the City

Within the framework of MIPIM and as a conference of the official program, Barcelona Catalonia is organizing, for the sixth time, a meeting to discuss the recruitment of talent and reindustrialization linked to innovation. On this occasion, the conference will explore the dynamic intersection of scientific innovation and urban development in Barcelona, its metropolis and in Catalonia. It will present investment opportunities at the forefront of innovation, from life sciences to semiconductors, promoting the reindustrialization of the territory and the development of sustainable urban ecosystems. The session will be led by Mercè Conesa, CEO of Barcelona Global, and will have the participation of José Luis Garrido, ICREA research professor and @ICN2 group leader, and Eva Jodar, senior director of Client Care & Client Solutions at CBRE Spain.

Barcelona City Council’s Commissioner for International Relations and City Promotion, Pau Solanilla, will participate in the Political Leaders Summit 2024, which brings together city leaders from all over Europe and the world to share perspectives to achieve urban improvements. The attraction of investments in the current macroeconomic and geopolitical environment, decarbonisation and net zero, the economy of innovation, transforming infrastructures, or affordable housing will be the focus of the round tables.

Apart from the official program of the fair, the Barcelona Catalonia stand organizes a series of meetings, talks and presentations to discuss Barcelona and Catalonia as a space for innovation, for investing and for settling down. In this edition, Barcelona City Council wants to highlight its profile as a city for science and innovation with areas such as the 22@ nord, and projects such as Port Olímpic, focused on the blue economy sector, or that of the Ciutadella del Coneixement, with more weight in the life sciences sector. On the part of INCASÒL the presentation of the Parc de l’Alba de Cerdanyola del Vallès project, located around the Sincrotró Alba, a new urban district that is designed to host the most advanced platforms at a scientific, technological and entrepreneurial level, as well such as the creation of more than 5,300 homes in a sustainable, balanced and connected environment.

The AMB’s Economic Development Agency participates for another year in the fair accompanying eight metropolitan municipalities to promote municipal urban developments on an international scale: Cerdanyola del Vallès, Cornellà de Llobregat, Esplugues de Llobregat, Gavà, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Sant Boi de Llobregat and Viladecans. Under the slogan ‘Discover the Metropolitan Projects’, the Barcelona Catalonia stand will present the investment opportunities of Gavà (Els Joncs project, Sector Ponent), Esplugues de Llobregat (Porta Barcelona project), Sant Adrià de Besòs (Les tres xemeneies project), Sant Boi de Llobregat (Casernes project – District Z) and Viladecans.

Public-private collaboration as a claim for the foreign investor

Barcelona Catalonia consolidates its model of public-private collaboration that combines the proposals of the different administrations and the projects of private companies in the sector. In this sense, the MIPIM stand brings together companies with an international vocation and municipal, metropolitan and supra-municipal administrations that collaborate on urban planning projects in Catalonia. On this occasion, the B-Tec Foundation of the Diagonal-Besòs Campus, Catalonia Trade & Investment and the University of Barcelona are collaborating with Barcelona Catalonia. The town councils of Cerdanyola del Vallès, Cornellà de Llobregat, Esplugues de Llobregat, Gavà, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Sant Boi de Llobregat and Viladecans are also present. As well as more than 30 private partners, made up of engineers, architects, lawyers and real estate services based in Catalonia.

Barcelona awarded as the best city in Europe for attracting investments

For the third year in a row, Barcelona will receive the prize for the best European city in terms of future investment attraction strategy at MIPIM. fDi Magazine, from the Financial Times group, has ranked Barcelona as the city that deploys the best promotion and investment attraction strategy in Europe, ahead of London, Berlin and Dublin. The ranking highlights Barcelona’s work in promotion to grow clusters in supercomputing, artificial intelligence, health and biotechnology.

Catalonia and Flanders collaborate to improve the startup ecosystem

The collaboration between Catalonia and Flanders is on the threshold of transforming the business landscape, as evidenced by the recent agreement between ACCIÓ – Agency for Business Competitiveness of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Flanders Investment and Trade Agency (FIT).

With the shared goal of strengthening startup ecosystems in both regions, this initiative is committed to fostering a symbiotic relationship, facilitating the exchange of invaluable knowledge and resources between Catalonia and Flanders. Based on a commitment to collaboration, the agencies commit to coordinate efforts over the next two years, with provisions for possible extensions, in order to drive the growth of new local companies, catalyzing strategic alliances and investor networks.

Castellanos emphasizes: “Flanders has an impressive startup ecosystem characterized by a fervent dedication to R&D and cutting-edge technologies, attributes that we aspire to cultivate in Catalonia.” By highlighting the importance of establishing solid links, he envisions a path of collective growth and improvement for both ecosystems.

Along the same lines, Demunter highlights the importance of a culture of collaboration, where various strengths converge to overcome challenges and capitalize on opportunities. “By creating synergies between Catalan and Flemish startups, we unlock the potential to leverage each other’s networks and expertise, propelling ourselves towards new frontiers in a constantly evolving business landscape,” he says.

Simultaneously, in a parallel effort, Flanders Investment & Trade has also consolidated a partnership with Tech Barcelona, underlining its commitment to fostering technological innovation across borders. Miquel Martí, general director of Tech Barcelona, emphasizes the importance of strengthening ties with innovation centers such as Flanders, recognizing its role as a benchmark for innovation in Europe.

Meeting and congress tourism in Barcelona will exceed the 2023 data

Meeting and conference tourism is essential for Barcelona, with more than 450 conferences in 2023 and more than 100 confirmed appointments for the coming months. Christoph Tessmar, director of the Barcelona Convention Bureau (BCB), anticipates a year equal to or better than the previous one, predicting a promising future for Barcelona in this area.

The city has attracted major international events, strengthening its position in the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions) sector. Some events such as Integrated Systems Europe and Mobile World Congress stand out on the calendar above the others.

The city’s infrastructure, its professionalism and the hotel offer are factors that contribute to its success. However, competition from cities like Madrid, Vienna and Paris is becoming stronger. To maintain its leadership, Barcelona must identify opportunities, diversify and consider expansions such as Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue and the possible conversion of the Airport into an intercontinental hub. Despite the post-pandemic challenges, the MICE sector shows resilience and contributes beyond the economic impact, enriching tourism and promoting knowledge in the city.

Currently, the BCB is working on 108 applications for the coming years, maintaining the confidentiality of the sector.

Real estate trends in Barcelona 2024: Reactivation and reconversion

The Real Estate Market Outlook 2024 report from CBRE (Global Commercial Real Estate Services) indicates that Barcelona will experience a revival in real estate investment throughout the year, especially in the second half, projecting growth of more than 10%, exceeding 2,000 millions of euros. A fact to take into account after the 49% drop in investments during 2023. The hotel sector led the investment with 578 million euros, followed by the industrial and logistics sector with 555 million.

Investment in housing fell by 68%, registering 323 million euros in Barcelona, although coliving and other flexible modalities increased significantly. The conversion of offices is suggested to increase the supply of housing. Greater vacancy of offices and their adaptation for residential and hotel uses is expected.

Barcelona will focus on specific technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and health sciences, taking advantage of its powerful technological fabric and foreseeing significant developments in the coming years. The importance of the life science sector is highlighted, which has numerous startups, university hospitals, research institutions and jobs.

In summary, Barcelona anticipates a reactivation in real estate investment, with emphasis on the hotel sector and the need to adapt obsolete offices. In addition, the city aims to consolidate itself as a technological hub specialized in AI and health sciences, taking advantage of its available infrastructure and resources.

Barcelona will electrify boats to reduce emissions

The Port Authority of Barcelona and Vinci Energies Spain have begun work to electrify the vessels at the Barcelona Ferry Terminal, thus reducing port emissions.

The works are expected to be completed by the end of the year, with the infrastructure operational in December 2024. The project, awarded to the UTE Omexom Puerto de Barcelona in June, includes drafting, execution and maintenance for more than 3.5 million euros.

 

Once completed, the port will have two mooring points with Onshore Power Supply (OPS) systems, part of the Nexigen plan to electrify docks. Vinci Energies Spain, with global experience in OPS, highlights the significant reduction in emissions, supported by estimates from State Ports.

The Barcelona Stock Exchange will host a Leading Financial Center promoted by Cospace SL

The Department of Economy and Finance of the Generalitat de Catalunya has approved a momentous project to transform part of the emblematic Barcelona Stock Exchange building into a dynamic financial center. Cospace SL, selected after a rigorous competitive bidding process, will lead this strategic initiative.

The upper floors of the building, located at Paseo de Gracia number 19 and owned by the Generalitat, will be refurbished as specialized offices to promote financial projects. This measure is aligned with the objective of strengthening financial services linked to technology, sustainable finance and investment entrepreneurship, both locally and internationally. The Generalitat supports this project by transferring the use of floors 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 to Cospace SL for six years (2024-2029) in exchange for an in-kind subsidy.

This real estate project also represents a strategic move to position Barcelona as an international center for sustainable finance, reconfiguring the building to house the Associació Barcelona Center Financer Europeu (BCFE) and the BCFE4S. The investment by Cospace SL, together with the 224,240 euros annually paid to the Catalan administration, promises to enhance the Catalan capital as the epicenter of a dynamic global financial ecosystem.

Affordable housing initiative in Barcelona: Construction of 1,700 homes to address housing needs

The Minister of Territory, Ester Capella i Farré, and the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni i Cuadrado, have agreed to build at least 1,700 affordable homes in Barcelona. The City Council will transfer the plots to the Institut Català del Sòl (INCASÒL) for 75 years, and it will invest some 221 million euros in the construction.

These homes join the initiatives to increase the public set of social rentals in Catalonia. The first phase includes 637 homes with an investment of 82.81 million euros. After construction, award criteria will be established, reserving 30% for young people under 35 years of age. Monitoring commissions will be created to supervise compliance with the agreement and carry out operational monitoring.

Factor Energía moves to the heart of Barcelona’s central business district

Factor Energía has moved its offices to Illa Diagonal, in the core of the Central Business District (CBD) of Barcelona, with a new 1,800 square meter space, advised by Cushman & Wakefield.

Emili Rousaud, founder of Factor Energía, mentions that the growth of the company required a new space. Until September, 28,000 square meters were rented in the CBD, with Diagonal Avenue responsible for 84%, with 17% office absorption. Pharmaceutical and professional services companies are the main plaintiffs.

Regarding the development, the next Aura building will be located at number 471 Avenida Diagonal, which will consist of 14,100 square meters of offices, in addition to 2,500 square meters of green spaces, this will focus on sustainability and well-being with Leed certifications, Well and WiredScore Platinum.

Barcelona: Third favorite European city for entrepreneurs according to StartUp Heatmap Europe

Barcelona has been highlighted as the third preferred city for new companies in Europe, according to StartUp Heatmap Europe and the World’s Best Cities 2024. The city is ranked eighth worldwide and third in Europe, standing out for its human capital, education, local and international connections, and openness. More than 50% of the jobs are in areas of high knowledge, with scientific facilities such as the Alba synchrotron and the Mare Nostrum supercomputer.

Projects such as La Ciutadella of Knowledge Hub promote science and innovation. Thanks to the strategy, Barcelona Green Deal awarded the city with the European Entrepreneurial Region Award 2023.

TMB breaks validation records on metro and bus, marking a year of success in public transport

During 2023, TMB set a new daily ride record with 1.65 million validations on October 31. The metro system reached a historical record of more than 440 million validations in the year, showing an increase of 6.8% compared to 2019.

In October, the metro also recorded a monthly record with almost 41 million validations. As for the bus service, it surpassed the 2022 validations, totaling more than 203 million and experiencing an increase of 16% compared to the previous year. Lines like X1 reached almost 6,000 daily validations.

Consorci of the Barcelona free zone projects a growth of 11.6%

The Consorci of Zona Franca from Barcelona projects an increase of 11.6% in its profits by 2024, approving budgets with an estimated turnover of 59.2 million euros. A net profit of 13.23 million euros is expected.

The expansion of the DFactory building, an innovation center, is positioned as the main project for 2024, totaling 70,000 square meters. The entity, led by Mayor Jaume Collboni, highlights the fulfillment of 98% of the strategic actions in its four-year plan. Blanca Sorigué, general director, emphasizes economic sustainability and social development as key axes. Pere Navarro, special delegate, highlights investment and sustainable growth.

ISE 2024: Preparations for a historic event in Barcelona

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) is preparing for its twentieth edition with the expectation of setting new records.

Following the positive economic impact of ISE 2023 in Barcelona, generating 385 million euros, the organization plans to leave a lasting legacy in the city. Companies such as B-Tech, Lang, Aztec, and others, have chosen to settle in Barcelona since the arrival of the ISE in 2021. The 2024 edition, from January 30 to February 2, will have 1,300 exhibitors, occupying 65,000 square meters , and will add two new pavilions, consolidating its position as a leading event in the audiovisual field.

The port authority of Barcelona strengthens ties

The Port Authority of Barcelona actively participated in the 31st Latin American Congress of the American Association of Port Authorities in Colombia. 

During the event, meetings were held with leaders of Ibero-American ports, highlighting meetings with the president of the port of Barranquilla and representatives of the port of Miami. The objective was to learn about improvement projects and explore collaborations, especially in innovation and sustainability.

The president of the port of Barcelona, Lluís Salvadó, advocated for greater collaboration between ports to modernize the maritime sector in an efficient and sustainable way.

Neinor Homes and Orion Capital strengthen their presence in Barcelona with the acquisition of residential land

Neinor Homes and the Orion Capital Managers fund have strengthened their presence in the Barcelona real estate market through the acquisition of residential land in the municipalities of Sant Cugat del Vallés and Rubí. The transaction, valued at approximately 12 million euros and facilitated by aCapital of the aFinance Group, involves plots with a total area of 17,674 square meters and a projected buildable area of 23,000 square meters on the ground floor plus two floors in height.

 

This strategic agreement marks a significant step forward in the expansion of Neinor Homes and Orion Capital Managers, who plan to develop a residential project on the site. Consisting of 104 semi-detached single-family homes, the project will be divided into four phases, offering various residential options. Furthermore, the context of the real estate market in Sant Cugat del Vallés stands out, where the average price of housing reaches 3,664 euros per square meter, with a year-on-year growth of 2.8%, according to data from Brainsre.

 

In this context, the new construction sector experiences a higher price, standing at 4,797 euros per square meter, with a year-on-year increase of 2.2%, although it has experienced a decrease of 2.4% in the last three months. This strategic move reinforces the position of Neinor Homes and Orion Capital Managers in the dynamic real estate market in the region.

The Government of Catalonia has promoted the construction of more than 2,100 social rental homes

The Government of Catalonia has begun the construction of more than 2,100 affordable and environmentally friendly homes for social rental in various municipalities in the region, with a total investment of 284 million euros. These residences are an integral part of a government program whose objective is to increase the social rental housing stock in Catalonia by 10,000 units by 2026, with the construction being the direct responsibility of Incasòl. The majority of these new developments are located in the Barcelona metropolitan area, where the demand for affordable housing is urgent.

The Minister of Territory, Ester Capella i Farré, has emphasized the Government’s priority in ensuring the right to housing. Of the 2,155 homes scheduled for this year, some are in the construction phase, while others are in the design and planning process.

These homes are being developed on land owned by Incasòl or through agreements with local councils. The management and award criteria fall to the Housing Agency of Catalonia, in collaboration with each municipality.

A new development stands out in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, consisting of 38 affordable rental homes that are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024. This project is part of an urban renewal plan and constitutes one of the four pilot tests of the project European Syn.ikia, aimed at building buildings with a positive energy balance and promoting sustainable communities. Incorporating solutions such as solar control, natural ventilation and improvements in insulation. Additionally, it participates in a project to establish energy communities that share surplus energy between nearby buildings, thus contributing to sustainability and energy efficiency at the community level.

The urban modification that requires the reservation of 30% for protected housing is approved

The proposal presented by Trias for Barcelona to modify the regulations that require 30% of new constructions to be allocated to protected housing has been approved by the Ecology, Urban Planning, Infrastructure, Mobility and Housing Commission of Barcelona City Council. The initiative, supported by PSC and PP, points out the lack of effective impact and the consequent paralysis of the real estate sector. Instead of the current 30%, the proposal suggests adjusting the regulations according to the percentage of the district, the location of the protected housing development and the maximum housing density.

Additionally, the proposal begins the creation of the City Pact for Housing, with the aim of prioritizing the expansion of the stock of protected rental housing. This pact seeks to address the social deficiencies of the housing market through public-private collaboration.

In another order of ideas, the initiative requests the beginning of an inventory of land intended for facilities, both public and private, with the purpose of evaluating the possibility of allocating them to the construction of homes with common services or shared accommodation.

MMM Group opens a hydrogen generator factory in Molins de Rei (Barcelona)

At the inaugural event, which was attended by the Minister of Business and Work of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Roger Torrent, and the Councilor for Business and Technologies 4.0 of the Molins de Rei City Council, Joan Carles Serra, it was highlighted that the plant plans have 100 employees by 2024 and produce 450 reformers annually.

Torrent affirmed the Generalitat’s commitment to the development of green hydrogen projects, underlining its crucial role in the decarbonization of heavy transport and industry. He highlighted that the MMM initiative is aligned with the Government’s objectives, focused on strengthening the innovative ecosystem of green hydrogen, offering productive solutions to the green mobility industry, generating stable and quality employment, and energizing the local economy.

Jordi Priu, CEO of MMM Group, highlighted that the project was born with synergies within the group, representing a commitment to innovation, excellence and sustainable growth.

The Danish startup Monta will install its second headquarters in Barcelona

Monta presents a comprehensive platform for recharging electric vehicles, simplifying the deployment, use, and management of charging infrastructure. The choice to install its ‘hub’ in Europe seems to be obvious, since Barcelona is one of the reference places for technology in Europe.

The Catalan capital becomes the company’s second largest center in Europe, only behind its headquarters in Denmark, and its vehicle charging solution will now be present in more than twenty European countries with more than 130,000 charging points. commercial.

The Port of Barcelona has started the bidding process for the Nexigen project

The Port has started the bidding process to build an electrical substation with which to electrify all cruise ship berthing points, the Prat dock and the ferry terminals of the Sant Bertran dock and the Costa dock.

Allowing ships to turn off their auxiliary engines, reducing environmental and noise pollution. It is estimated that by 2030, 66,000 tons of CO₂ and 1,234 tons of NOx will be eliminated from emissions from port activity.

The work, part of the Nexigen project and whose budget uses 14 million euros of the 110 million allocated, is expected to be completed in 2025.

Barcelona Metro exceeds the number of passengers pre-pandemic

The Barcelona Metro recorded more than 28 million passengers in August alone. A 17.6% increase over last year.

This is currently the highest number of passengers recorded since 2021 and represents an increase of 16.6% over 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.

As for the city bus system, more than 14 million passengers travelled, 15.1% more than last year and 1.2% more than 2019.

The upward trend is spreading throughout the peninsula, with a 22.5% increase in the use of public transport compared to last year.

Catalonia promotes the creation of 5,000 social rental homes

In 2023, the Government of Catalonia has promoted the creation of more than 5,000 social rental homes through public subsidies, as part of an ambitious plan to increase the number of these homes in Catalonia by 10,000 in the next three years. These subsidies, coming from both European funds and specific resources from the Generalitat, have resulted in the construction of a total of 5,337 homes, exceeding initial projections.

The Minister of Territory, Ester Capella i Farré, highlighted the relevance of collaboration between government entities and private actors with a social commitment to improve access to housing in Catalonia. Likewise, she called on the Government to comply with the State Housing Law, which would allow rental prices to be regulated in Catalonia.

This comprehensive plan contemplates various strategies, such as subsidies for housing promotion, the transfer of public lands and the direct construction of housing by the Generalitat.

Barcelona establishes itself as the second main option for startups in the European Union

According to the 2023 Startup Heatmap Europe report, Barcelona continues to stand out as the preferred choice for entrepreneurs to launch their projects, maintaining this privileged position for the sixth consecutive year. In this prestigious study, the Catalan city surpasses cities such as Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin and Lisbon, with 17.1% of entrepreneurs considering it the most attractive location to start a startup.

Albert Castellanos, Secretary of Business and Competitiveness of the Generalitat of Catalonia and general director of ACCIÓ (Agency for Business Competitiveness), emphasizes the fundamental role that Barcelona plays in the European startup ecosystem. He highlights that the city continues to attract top tech talent and highlights how startups contribute significantly to attracting foreign investment, driving innovation and technology in the region.

Since 2016, the Startup Heatmap Europe report has evaluated the preferences of startup founders to identify the 50 best European cities to start a business. Barcelona has maintained a consistent position among the top options, reflecting its enduring appeal to entrepreneurs. The startup ecosystem in Catalonia is experiencing notable growth, according to the report “Analysis of the startup ecosystem in Catalonia 2022” by ACCIÓ-Catalunya. The region is home to more than 2,000 startups that have generated more than 19,100 jobs and have attracted investments worth 1,653 million euros in 2022, which represents an increase of 6.3% compared to 2021 and an impressive increase of 86 % since 2016.

Key sectors for Catalan startups include health (16%), business services and software (12%), ICT and mobile telephony (6%), food (5%) and finance (5%). The report also highlights the growth and evolution in the size of these companies, reflecting their growing prominence in the startup landscape.

The continued success of Barcelona and Catalonia as a startup epicenter highlights their firm commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship.

UNESCO selects Barcelona as the world capital of architecture for 2026.

Barcelona has been officially selected as the world capital of architecture in 2026 by Unesco and the International Union of Architects (UIA). This initiative seeks to highlight the role of architecture and urbanism in culture, the identity of cities and their sustainable development.

As the World Capital of Architecture, Barcelona will host a series of events and activities throughout 2026 in collaboration with the Higher Council of Spanish Colleges of Architects (CSCAE) and the Official College of Architects of Catalonia (COAC). Barcelona City Council will facilitate an extensive program that will include exhibitions, activities and companies to highlight the value and importance of architecture and urban design in the sustainable development of the city.

With this designation, Barcelona became the first city to host the UIA World Congress twice, having hosted it in 1996, four years after the Olympic Games. This opportunity will allow the city to once again highlight its international architectural importance and its commitment to sustainable development.

Barcelona relies on the new standard track gauge of Can Tunis to capture Asian flows.

The port of Barcelona is preparing for the expansion of the standard or international gauge (UIC) in the logistics center of Can Tunis, with the aim of strengthening the rail connectivity of Asian imports with the rest of Europe. The arrival of six new standard track gauge, which will be combined with the existing ones, will make it possible to maximize the distribution capacity of maritime imports to the north and center of Europe, as well as attract production from these regions to the port.

The port entity highlights that this improvement in rail traffic will favor an optimal balance between imports and exports, consolidating the position of the port of Barcelona as an important hub for the flow of goods between Europe and China.

The goal of the port of Barcelona was presented during the Automotive Logistics conference in Yantai, China. Port entity representatives attended the event to promote the port’s role in distributing Chinese-made vehicles to Europe. According to the port’s statistics, Chinese vehicle imports saw a 165% increase between January and May this year compared to last year, reaching a total of 114,734 vehicles. In general terms, vehicle imports have grown by 76% during the same period. The port of Barcelona has been receiving multipurpose vessels from Cosco, using special structures called ‘flat rack’ to transport the vehicles due to the shortage of vehicle carriers in the international market.

The port of Barcelona accelerates to be a distribution center for vehicles from China and India.

The Barcelona Port Authority is committed to the distribution of vehicles from the Chinese and Indian markets. In the presentation of the commercial mission that Manel Galán, head of External Relations of the enclosure, explained, it has been said that the entity has been receiving visits from companies interested in the availability of space for the distribution of automobiles.

During the presentation, some activities that will be carried out to promote the business sectors of the main traffic of the port were also broken down. The business conference will include:

  • Site visits
  • Face-to-face meetings
  • Technical seminars on different topics (digitization, innovation and logistics)

“India has the potential to generate resilient supply chains, something positive to reduce dependence on China,” said Berta Fuentes, president of the Spain-India Council, along with the opportunities highlighted by Sudhanshu Karandikar, director of BDO Spain, which represents the India due to its geography and the current development of the freight rail network that will link the two coasts of the Asian country.

HMM launches its own line to connect Valencia and Barcelona with India and the Far East.

The South Korean ship HMM (Hyundai Merchant Marine) will start its own transport service between the Far East, India and the ports of Valencia and Barcelona that will consist of 26 calls to ports in 11 countries.

This service will start on August 6 in the port of Busan (South Korea) with a duration of 84 days in total. Company sources have predicted that the ship will arrive to Valencia and Barcelona, approximately, in September.

From its departure, it will also pass through the ports of Kwangyang (also South Korea) and continue its route through China, Malaysia, India, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to later reach the African continent and pass through Egypt, and finally, enter Europe and pass through the ports of Greece, Italy and the APM Terminals facilities in Valencia and Barcelona (Spain).

“With the introduction of the FIM (Far East – India – Mediterranean) service, we hope to expand our reach to India and the Mediterranean trade,” sources from the shipping company said.

Olvan prepares for economic growth with the opening of the new sector driven by INCASÒL

The Institut Català del Sòl, INCASÒL, starts the commercialisation of the economic activity sector of Rocarodona-Olvan, located in the municipality of Olvan (Berguedà).

A total of 14 plots are for sale, for different uses, mainly industrial, commercial and offices. The plots have different surface areas and range from 13,000 m2, the largest, to 1,800 m2, the smallest. A total of 5 are already developed and the remaining plots are expected to be completed by the beginning of 2025. 

The deadline for acquiring one of the plots was 22 June of this year and the application was made online and then the proof of purchase was presented to INCASÒL

It has a total surface area of approximately 53 hectares. They are located in a strategic place, near the Gironella Nord exit of the Eix del Llobregat (C-16), Eix Europeu E9 of communication between Barcelona and Tolosa de Llenguadoc and connected with the Vic – Gironella regional road (C-154).

The Catalan Government is promoting these sectors, generating jobs in Catalonia. They will facilitate the economic growth of Berguedà and will respond to the demand for industrial land.

Construction completed on the 21,000 square metre, 21-storey building located in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat

The building, owned by Colonial and Inmo, located in Torre Plaza Europa 34, was completed last June. The location of the offices is strategic, as they are located in one of the areas with the greatest development in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. 

The project developed by Albert Viaplana between 2007 and 2008 aims to create a new centrality in the area that connects El Prat airport and the city of Barcelona. To achieve this, a comprehensive transformation was proposed involving the redevelopment of roads, the incorporation of green spaces and the construction of mixed-use buildings.

The completion of this project represents an important milestone for the business fabric of Plaza Europa. With the construction of the last office tower of the urban plan, the presence of companies in this area is consolidated and strengthened.

The architectural conception of both towers brings a remarkable dynamism to the urban landscape. The Puig Tower, designed by GCA Architects in collaboration with Rafael Moneo and Lucho Marcial, presents a spiral ribbon that generates an effect of upward movement. On the other hand, the Plaza Europa 34 Tower, designed by Josep Riu, achieves visual impact through a displacement of volumes that gives it a sense of lightness and movement.

In addition to its aesthetic appeal, the Plaza Europa 34 Tower has been designed with a focus on sustainability and energy efficiency. Low energy consumption and easy maintenance technologies have been prioritised, contributing to the reduction of the building’s environmental footprint. In recognition of these efforts, the building has obtained LEED Gold certification, a prestigious award that distinguishes the most sustainable and environmentally friendly buildings.

BIG C sports centre expands facilities in 22@ to 7,000 square metres

Once construction is completed in June, the city of Barcelona will have the largest eSports centre in southern Europe. They also aim, thanks to this new infrastructure, to become the high-performance centre of reference in the field of video games in Europe.

We can consider the new BIG C centre as a new example of success that positions Catalonia and Barcelona as a top-level location in the video games and digital entertainment sector.

As the CEO of BIG.C, Jean-Sébastian Ventura, emphasised, video games are one of the most powerful industries in the world and a driving force for economic transformation.

Catalonia continues to lead the list of European regions with the highest levels of foreign investment in the video games sector.

The International Logistics Exhibition (SIL) in Barcelona has ended with a 20% growth in the number of visitors

More than 15,000 people took part in the event, during the three days of its 25th edition. In addition, the organisation counted the participation of 650 companies, 40% of which were international, and more than 250 events held within the framework of the sectoral fair. It had an economic impact in Barcelona of 50 million euros, exceeding the initial estimate of the Zona Franca de Barcelona.

The profile of the vast majority of the participants is that they are decision-makers in their companies, said the director general of the Zona Franca de Barcelona, Blanca Sorigué. She also stated that the organisation’s wish was to continue the success of the event for at least another 25 years. She also announced the dates for the next edition to be held in 2024, which will take place on the 5th, 6th and 7th.

The special delegate of the State in the Zona Franca of Barcelona, Pere Navarro, highlighted the satisfaction of the companies participating in the event, who closed business deals and established high quality contacts throughout the three days. Navarro highlighted the growth of the fair in terms of internationality, business impulse, networking and market knowledge.

The organisation emphasised the use of its digital platform to encourage networking, revealing that 8,317 digital contact exchanges, nearly 3,000 meeting requests and 7,106 messages were made between attendees, according to official sources. In addition, a marketplace for recruitment was set up in collaboration with the public platform Barcelona Activa, which resulted in 107 job interviews out of the 374 applications submitted. Among the companies offering vacancies were Alquimia Fruits, Cargobici, Cargo-Partner, Decathlon, DHL Supply Chain, Grupo CTC, Mail Boses, Torrella Ingeniería-Arquitectura and Vanapedal, according to the event organisers.

Catalonia’s logistics market will add more than 650,000 m2 by 2025

In total, the Catalan logistics market will add more than 650,000 square metres over the next three years.

There are currently 412,000 square metres under construction, with delivery scheduled for 2023. To this amount, the 27,000 square metres planned for next year and 211,000 square metres under construction will be added.

This year, 203,000 square metres located in the second ring and 193,000 square metres located in the third ring will be delivered. In the area of the first logistical arch, with an availability of 0.4%, 17,000 square metres will be delivered.

The 41,000 square metre warehouse, owned by Scannell Properties, in Constantí (Tarragonès), will be the first project to come onto the market in 2023. Other projects will also be launched, such as Bentall Green Oak’s 40,000 sqm warehouse in Santa Margarida i els Monjos (Alt Penedès) or Clarion Partners’ project in Esparraguera (Baix Llobregat), with a 22,000 sqm warehouse.

According to the Associate Director of Research at CBRE Spain, Arancha González, availability rates are expected to rise slightly in Barcelona this year, due to the fact that despite the good pace of business, deliveries are being concentrated more in the second and third ring, where, at present, there is not so much demand.

Berry establishes its new global centre of excellence and circular innovation in Barcelona, boosting the city’s circular economy

Berry Global, a leading developer of sustainable and revolutionary packaging solutions, is excited to announce the upcoming opening of its Centre of Excellence and Circular Innovation in Barcelona. The opening of this centre is scheduled for the third quarter of 2023 and will mark an important milestone in the company’s global expansion.

The main objective of the centre of excellence will be to foster innovation in the design of products that meet customers’ sustainability objectives. Berry Global is committed to delivering a new generation of circular products, giving its international customers access to advanced and sustainable solutions. This revolutionary approach will drive the adoption of more environmentally friendly practices in the packaging industry.

With the opening of this centre of excellence, Berry Global will also generate new job opportunities in the vibrant city of Barcelona. The company intends to recruit local talent, taking advantage of the cultural diversity and rich supply of talent that characterises this European metropolis.

Berry Global’s centre of excellence will focus on developing innovative circular solutions that improve recyclability and reduce waste. It will also provide a collaborative space where customers will be able to work closely with Berry experts on customised projects tailored to their specific circularity needs. In addition, visitors will be able to explore an interactive learning area that will allow them to get an up-close look at Berry’s latest sustainable product developments, as well as learn about the design, manufacturing and recycling processes.

Berry Global’s new centre in Barcelona will be staffed by a team of more than fifty committed professionals. These talented individuals will work in a state-of-the-art environment, supporting the company’s vision of building and maintaining a diverse and highly skilled workforce. In addition, Barcelona’s strategic location, with its international airport, will provide an ideal platform for global collaboration with clients around the world.

With this initiative, Berry Global reinforces its commitment to leading the sustainable packaging industry and contributing to a greener future. The Circular Centre of Excellence and Innovation in Barcelona represents a significant milestone in the company’s journey towards creating more sustainable and efficient packaging solutions.

Toyota’s logistics division boosts employment in Catalonia with the creation of 300 new jobs in its new centre

In an exciting event, Toyota Material Handling España, the world-renowned logistics subsidiary, has broken ground on its innovative new headquarters in Sabadell, Barcelona. Toyota Material Handling Spain’s managing director, Joan Catalán, was present at the ceremony, highlighting the company’s commitment to growth and sustainability.

Scheduled for completion in 2024, the new centre will occupy an impressive 16,500 m2 on a 37,247 m2 plot of land. There, a team of 225 professionals, in addition to on-site associates, will work closely together to provide exceptional service to Toyota Material Handling España’s customers.

This significant development will enable the company to further enhance its ability to deliver efficient logistics solutions and advance its commitment to achieving zero emissions across its operations. The site has been designed with state-of-the-art technologies and systems to maximise efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint, demonstrating Toyota Material Handling España’s focus on sustainability.

Joan Catalán, general manager of Toyota Material Handling Spain, expressed his enthusiasm for this new move to Sabadell, highlighting the choice of location for its modernity and convenience for the team. The new centre will integrate several activities, including distribution, marketing and after-sales service of industrial machinery, as well as financial services, automation projects and sustainable energy.

The construction of this modern headquarters reflects Toyota Material Handling Spain’s commitment to providing exceptional service, fostering innovation and contributing to the region’s economic growth.

The INCASÒL puts on sale three plots of the sector of economic activities Puig Vell de Roda de Ter to promote local development

Roda de Ter has experienced notable industrial development thanks to Puig Vell, a sector that has provided new land area to meet the industrial demand in the area. This diversified and constantly expanding sector is characterised by the prominent presence of the agri-food industry, the leather sector, metallurgy and logistics transport.

With a total surface area of 16 hectares, Puig Vell has become an important pole of attraction for companies from various sectors. Prominent companies such as Costa Food Meat, Acto Reparación Blanco SLU, Ovinos del Ter, SL and Ova Projects have already acquired land in this area to develop their business projects. Likewise, other companies, including Tierras Boix, La Selecta and Muebles Bellmunt, have plots of land in the sector and have plans to start their activities in the near future.

Puig Vell enjoys a privileged location, bordering in the south with the municipality of Les Masies de Roda and in the north with the C-153 road from Vic to Olot, which is the main access to the area and very close to exit 183 of the C-25 motorway. This booming sector has consolidated itself as an effective response to the demand for industrial land in the area, driving economic development and generating new employment opportunities in Roda de Ter.

This booming sector has established itself as an effective response to the demand for industrial land in the area, driving economic development and generating new employment opportunities in Roda de Ter. With its industrial diversity and strategic location, Puig Vell continues to attract investment and reaffirm its position as a key economic driver in the region.

The Port of Barcelona launches the call for tenders for the third phase of the extension of the Adossat quay

The Board of Directors of the Port of Barcelona has approved the tender for the superstructure works for the third phase of the extension of the Adossat quay. This important investment has a base budget of seven million euros, excluding IVA, and its main objective is the construction of 631 metres of promenade, as well as the installation of various port facilities such as scales, water service networks, telecommunications, medium voltage connection and drainage network.

The estimated execution period for these works is six months, as reported by the port authority. The purpose of this extension is to prepare the Adossat quay for the future construction of the MSC cruise terminal and the Ro-Pax terminal, as established in the agreement signed with Barcelona City Council in 2018. 

Once the works have been completed, the concessionary companies will be responsible for the development of the area and the installation of the necessary infrastructure to ensure its full operation.

The work to extend the Adossat quay at the Port of Barcelona includes the superstructure needed to install a medium-voltage network, which will enable electricity to be supplied to ships in accordance with the Nexigen quay electrification project. With this extension, the port seeks to strengthen its position as one of the leading ports in the Mediterranean, reaffirming its commitment to the modernisation and sustainability of its port facilities.

Easter tourism boosts Catalonia’s economy with 90% hotel occupancy rate

Despite rising prices due to inflation, hotels in the Catalan capital were almost full during Easter. According to Eduard Torres, president of Barcelona Tourism, “It went very well. There has been a lot of demand.” Most visitors came from other parts of Europe, especially the UK, France and Germany, although there has also been an increase in visitors from the United States. The number of tourists from Asian countries is slowly increasing again as flight connections are restored after the pandemic.

The president of Barcelona Tourism, Eduard Torres, expects this year to be a good one in terms of tourism and believes there will be no increase in the number of visitors because of the limited accommodation options in the city. The president of the association of travel agencies Acave, Jordi Martí, has stated that Easter has been good for business, as more than 80% of the association’s companies have invoiced more in 2023 than in 2022 because of the good weather.

During the Easter holidays, hotels and campsites in the Barcelona area had high occupancy rates of 90% and 70% to 90% respectively. Most visitors were families and young people from Catalonia or other parts of Spain, followed by European tourists from France, the UK, Germany and northern Europe. Official occupancy figures will be known later this week.

AstraZeneca to create 1,000 jobs and invest 800 million in R&D in Barcelona, the largest foreign investment in Catalonia’s history

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca will invest 800 million euros to create an R&D centre in Barcelona that will become a reference centre for clinical innovation in Europe in the company’s five main therapeutic areas.

The facility will bring together experts in clinical development and operations, pharmaceutical sciences, drug safety and data analytics to develop new therapies and address unmet patient needs. AstraZeneca’s CEO highlighted the importance of public-private collaboration in the development of new medicines and announced the company’s investment plans in Spain until 2025.

In the drug research and development sector, Spain stands out for its high level of professionals and its R&D&I ecosystem. In Catalonia alone, there are 91 research centres and more than 1,300 biopharmaceutical, healthcare, MedTech and digital health companies. The country has authorised more than 900 clinical trials with medicines, demonstrating its commitment to innovation.

The company AstraZeneca has invested more than 93 million euros in innovative projects in 2021, and the investment multiplied last year, reaching almost 400 million euros. In addition, the international pharmaceutical investment project in Barcelona has the support of ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment, the Catalan government’s agency for foreign investment and business competitiveness.

Barcelona has become a strategic location for AstraZeneca, especially since it opened, together with Alexion, its clinical trials centre for rare diseases with an investment of 32 million euros. According to ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment data, Catalonia ranks sixth in Europe in clinical trial development, with more than 1,200 active trials, 50% in oncology, one of the areas in which AstraZeneca is strongest. This demonstrates the importance of the region to the company’s innovation and drug development strategy.

The Fraunhofer research centre, the largest in Europe, to be based in Barcelona for the first time

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Europe’s largest applied research organisation, will establish its Spanish headquarters in Barcelona, in collaboration with the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC). This alliance will boost the internationalisation of the biomedical sector and contribute to the development of a hub for medical bioengineering in southern Europe, as well as for precision medicine and advanced therapies, with a research centre for bioengineering applied to health.

This project will accelerate the internationalisation of the biomedical technology sector and contribute to the development of a medical bioengineering hub in southern Europe. The Regional Ministry stresses that the benefits of this alliance will be the increase in the capacity to link academic research sectors with industrial sectors and the acceleration of knowledge transfer.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is an organisation with a worldwide partnership programme, with centres in Europe, America, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. In Europe, it has collaborative centres in Austria, Great Britain, Italy, Portugal and Sweden.

The port of Barcelona attracts more flows thanks to the success of Chinese vehicles

According to Salvadó, the figures indicate that the current volumes will have a knock-on effect, meaning that more and more Asian brands will use the port of Barcelona for their operations, which will allow for a significant future in this regard. Salvadó also mentioned that the port’s current silos will not be sufficient to accommodate the expected increase in volumes.

Lluís Salvadó stated that in 2022 the Port of Barcelona experienced an important development in the import of electric vehicles from American and Asian brands, which have chosen Barcelona as the most efficient port to enter the Iberian Peninsula and head to the rest of Europe.

The port’s president stressed that the increase in volumes will have a knock-on effect, which will also lead Asian brands to work with the port of Barcelona. Salvadó added that the number of electric vehicle manufacturers passing through his facility is around 20, but this number is expected to continue to increase this year.

The president of the Port of Barcelona has stated that the port is confident that the import traffic of vehicles produced in Asia will increase by 2023. According to Salvadó, the flow of Asian cars is considered a strategic commitment, and the figures indicate that more and more Asian brands will come to work through the Port of Barcelona. The president also pointed out that the port will have to make changes to accommodate this traffic, as the current silos will not be sufficient. In 2022, the port of Barcelona recorded a significant increase in the import of electric vehicles, which has led to the need to make modifications to the facilities.

The Barcelona Zona Franca becomes the incubator of logistics innovation for startups

The incubator has 18 actors using and developing new technologies which provide innovative solutions for the logistics sector, with the aim of selecting the 25 most attractive and innovative startups. The initiative is supported by the Incyde Foundation and the Feder Funds.

The incubator provides companies with the necessary equipment to develop disruptive logistics initiatives. With solutions in artificial intelligence, internet of things, big data, 3D printing, warehouse robotisation and green logistics, the incubator offers a think tank for the development and integration of Industry 4.0 in the logistics sector.

The project, supported by the Incyde Foundation and European Feder funds, also provides startups with funding of between 10,000 and 30,000 euros to scale their businesses, physical infrastructure, mentoring services and access to an entrepreneurial ecosystem to boost their networking.

Catalonia at the world’s most important Industry 4.0 trade fair, Hannover Messe

The Minister for Enterprise and Employment of Catalonia, Roger Torrent, attended the Hannover Messe trade fair in Germany to promote Catalonia as one of the leading regions in Industry 4.0 in southern Europe. The fair was attended by more than 200,000 visitors and leading companies in the industrial sector.

During the visit, Torrent held several meetings with leading companies in the Industry 4.0 sector, such as Siemens Energy and SAP, and also met with executives from Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the most important applied research centre in Europe. The mission was organised by the ACCIÓN-Catalonia Trade & Investment offices in Germany and Denmark.

Torrent stated that Catalonia was one of the industrial engines of Europe and had one of the most advanced digital ecosystems on the continent, which, together with the generation of specialised talent and the presence of key scientific-technical infrastructures, placed it as one of the most capable regions in Industry 4.0. During his participation in the Hannover Messe fair, the minister focused on the latest trends in advanced manufacturing and automation, as well as the use of new energy resources such as hydrogen and how industry is incorporating technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and the cloud.

The minister travelled to Denmark to strengthen international connections in digitalisation and sustainability. During his visit, he met with different relevant technology centres such as Digital Hub Denmark, the State of Green and the Danish Technological Institute. He also held meetings with executives from companies such as Hempel and IO Interactive. The aim was to look for new ways to collaborate with Catalonia and to learn about the latest trends in digitalisation and sustainability in the country.

Panattoni acquires land in Parc de l’Alba in Cerdanyola del Vallès to build a data centre

A technology campus of up to 68,000 m² will be built with a 42 MW installed capacity data centre, which is expected to be the largest in Catalonia. The estimated investment for the project is 300 million euros and the first phase, of 42,000 m², will begin to be built at the end of 2023.

Quark, a leader in Architecture, Engineering and Project Management for Data Centres, will be responsible for the design and construction of a large data centre in Cerdanyola, just 20 km from Barcelona.

The future operator and tenant will be defined after an orderly process led by Colliers and Telam Partners. The location of the data centre ensures unbeatable connectivity and immediate power availability, which guarantees the success of the project and is a sure bet for the business development of the future tenant.

Experts are confident that this project will be the largest Data Centre to be built in Catalonia and Spain, and will contribute to expanding the digital infrastructure throughout southern Europe and North Africa. In addition, the project has the support of the Cerdanyola del Vallès City Council.

LaSalle invests in a Scanell logistics ship in Barcelona for 35 million

LaSalle has invested 25 million to raise the property to 21,000 m2. The ship, which has been occupied by the French group Daher since the second quarter of 2022, is located at quince kilometres from Barcelona and 25 kilometres from the port.

Scannell Properties is a private equity company specializing in promoting developed real estate. They have offices in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom, where they have carried out over 360 projects with a total volume of 7.8 million m2.

Since its inception to the national market, the company has deployed a growth strategy, buying land in different parts of the territory. The last operation was at the La Cova industrial estate in Manises, Valencia, with the development of a 19.171 m2 logistical platform.

The logistics centre will be state-of-the-art, sustainable, with additional offices and adapted to customer needs. It will be erected on a plot of 26,589 m2, where a warehouse of 16,612 m2, with offices and anexos buildings, will be built, totaling 2,559 m2 more.

It will have twenty loading docks, a large 32-metre maneuvering beach and a ship-free height of over 11 metres. It will have outdoor parking areas. It is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2023.

INCASÒL encourages the economic promotion of Parc de l’Alba in Cerdanyola del Vallès

The Institut Català del Sòl, INCASÒL, promotes the environmental promotion of Parc de l’Alba and the municipality of Cerdanyola del Vallès by making the plots available to facilitate the expansion of the activity of the Alba synchrotron.

These new spaces will allow for more detailed and faster analysis of the development of drugs, microchips and green energy.

Parc de l’Alba is located in Cerdanyola del Vallès, north of the city of Barcelona. It is being consolidated as one of the main strategic projects. From Catalonia offering new investment opportunities.

A location surrounded by nature with good connection and connectivity with affordable homes.

ICC is performing a new 22.400 m2 logistic project in Sabadell

ICC, the company specializing in the promotion and management of logistical assets and Toyota Material Handling Espaaa have begun construction of the Sabadell ICC Logistic Park, a new project of more than 22,400 m2.

The hub logistic will be erected over a 37,247 m2 (3,247 sq ft) parent cell and will consist of two modules, one of which will be 16,500 m2, which will be the new headquarters for the Japanese company. This module is joined by another 5,900 m2, currently available.

This new Logistics Park will have the ICC label, which supports the highest levels of sustainability in the construction process and in the use of the building. In this respect, the logistics centre will have the most vanguard systems for waste management and energy efficiency.

Use measurements such as photovoltaic panels, LED lights, etc. In order to make it sustainable, the building is planned to opt for the LEED Gold certification granted by the US Green Building Council.

José Luis Martínez, a member of the ICC, comments, “the demand for logistical space remains strong in Catalonia and in this sense logistical centres with such an excellent location as we find ourselves in will continue to awaken interest from both tenants and investors.”

Toyota, future tenant of the new center

Toyota Material Handling Espaaa is one of the future tenants, who will move their headquarters from Barberà del Vallès to Sabadell next year. This location change is part of the company’s growth consolidation strategy, which aims to improve service.

With this privileged location, the firm will offer greater coverage thanks to its connections and facilities, created to provide good service.

The Barcelona Tech Association inaugurates Pier07, a new hub of business innovation dedicated to health

Tech Barcelona and the Government of Catalonia have presented Pier07, a new hub for business innovation in the field of life and health sciences.

The initiative has been supported by ACCIÓ-Catalunya Trade . Investment, which has allocated ,125,000 to the promotion of the project. The headquarters, located in Via Laietana de Barcelona, has been inaugurated by the Minister of Health, Manel Balcells, the Secretary of Business and Competitiveness and the Director General of ACCIÓ-Catalunya Trade . Investment, Albert Castellanos, the President of Tech Barcelona, Miguel Vicente, the CEO of the entity, Miquel Martí.

The entrepreneurial innovation hub Pier07 is intended to boost innovation in the field of health and life sciences, and it becomes a key space for the development of projects in these sectors in the city of Barcelona.

During the inauguration of Pier07, Tech Barcelona president Miguel Vicente noted that “this space represents a unique opportunity for the creation and consolidation of companies in the health sector, as well as to encourage collaboration and innovation among the various agents of the ecosystem”. In addition, he noted that, “from Tech Barcelona we are committed to promoting entrepreneurial growth and entrepreneurship, and Pier07 is an example of this”.

The Secretary of Enterprise and Competitiveness and Director General of ACCIÓ-Catalunya Trade In Investement, Albert Castellanos, has also highlighted the importance of this new hub, stating that “Pier07 is a benchmark in the life and health sciences sector, and its typology has proved very effective in accelerating business development in this area”. He also stressed the contribution of this project to consolidating and projecting Barcelona as an innovative and dynamic city.

For its part, the Health Minister, Manuel Balcells, has subtracted the upsurge in having a space like Pier07, which allows technological advances in the field of health to be put into practice and people’s quality of life to be improved. “The Health . Life Sciences sector is a fundamental pillar of our economy, and with initiatives like this we can continue to drive its growth and its positive impact on society,” she said.

Catalonia received a record sterling investment of 6.4 billion in 2022

This increase is partly due to 229 investment projects by multinational companies, 11% more than in 2021, which will generate some 19,500 new jobs when implemented.

The fDi Markets database is an international tool used by multinational companies to study future business investment projects.

The Catalan Minister for Business and Labour, Roger Torrent, has highlighted that the record number of foreign investment registered in Catalonia in 2022 is excellent, as it is linked to the productive economy and will generate stable and quality jobs.

The Government of Catalonia has broken a historical record in attracting foreign investment in 2022 through ACCIÓ-Catalunya Trade . Investment. Despite the volatility that this type of indicator can generate, Torrent has underlined that the volume of foreign investment recorded in Catalonia in the last five years has reached 20.3 billion euros, representing a 29% increase compared with the previous period.

Over the last five years, 950 projects have been registered, an increase of 58%, and 44,500 associated jobs have been created, representing an 82% increase.

In short, foreign investment in Catalonia is experiencing steady and solid growth that is contributing to boosting the productive economy and generating quality jobs.

Torrent has stated that the main investment projects in 2022 were from companies in the United States, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Switzerland and China. The main sectors were ICT, machinery and equipment, infrastructure, electronic and electrical equipment, food and pharmaceutical industry.

Catalonia and Barcelona revalidate their first position in the European ranking in strategy to attract foreign investment

  • The Parc de l’Alba project in Cerdanyola del Vallès was a finalist at the MIPIM Awards as Best New Mega Developement.
  • FDi Magazine of the Financial Times consolidates the leadership of Catalonia and its capital in attracting foreign investment.

The Government of Catalonia, through INCASÒL, the Barcelona City Council and the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB) reaffirmed their commitment to inclusive, sustainable and cohesive development models at the world’s leading real estate fair, MIPIM. The fair was held in Cannes (France) from Tuesday 14 March until Friday 17, and was attended by more than 2,400 companies from some eighty countries. More than 2,000 investment and financial companies attended and more than 50% of the participants were CEOs and senior professionals.

Catalonia as a whole, especially Barcelona and its metropolitan area, has a great international, open and cosmopolitan vocation, which seeks to grow in an inclusive manner and to generate wealth and a diversified economy. It is in this sense that Barcelona has been awarded, this 2023, with the distinction of European Entrepreneurial Region.
This is why it is a very attractive territory for foreign investment and the attraction of international talent, as shown by various studies. In 2022, foreign investment in Catalonia reached 620 million euros, a figure that has been on the rise since 2018. Last year’s investment has led to the creation of 3,464 new jobs.

Under the slogan: A way of living! Barcelona Catalonia took its ambitious programme of promotion and investment attraction to MIPIM this year. It had a 250 m² stand and the participation of 35 public and private partners who jointly presented strategic areas and projects. The projects are located in excellent locations connected by a rich network of infrastructures that favour the development of business and host services for international companies and operators.

The outstanding projects presented at the stand were Barcelona Centro, the new 22@, the PDUAE of La Plana de Lleida and La Cònca de Òdena, residential sectors with land available for the development of affordable housing, Biopol-GranVia in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and Fira, in Cornellà de Llobregat. In this edition, Catalonia Trade & Investment and the universities of Barcelona and the Diagonal-Besòs Campus of the UPC joined the project to increase the value of the offer presented to Cannes. All these business opportunities were projected onto the interactive Barcelona Catalonia model that captured the attention and interest of visitors to this year’s MIPIM.

Barcelona and Catalonia consolidate their leadership in attracting foreign investment

The European Cities and Regions of the Future 2023/2024 report published annually by the Financial Times group’s fDi Magazine ranks Barcelona and Catalonia as the best city and the best territory in terms of investor promotion strategy for the second year running. Thus, Barcelona is ahead of cities such as Berlin and London, and Catalonia is tied with the Ile-de-France region and ahead of the Madrid region and Scotland.

Specifically, Barcelona won the category “Major European Cities of the Future 2023 – FDI Strategy” for its commitment to technology and sustainability. The publication also highlighted the city council’s commitment to encouraging companies to invest in solar energy and Spain’s first green hydrogen plant. They also highlighted the “Plaza Barcelona” initiative, which uses virtual reality to promote the city and facilitate tasks such as finding work.

For its part, Catalonia tied for first place with the French region where Paris is located, in the same category but analysed by region. The jury highlighted Catalonia’s commitment to the SDGs and its digital transformation. It also emphasised the attraction pole, which are the 12 Catalan universities and their engineering degrees. These, according to the magazine, “create a pole of attraction of power that accelerates the transformation of the region” towards an industry 4.0.

The fDi Awards ceremony took place on Tuesday, 14 March.

Parc de l’Alba was nominated as Best New Mega Development at the MIPIM Awards

One of the projects presented at the Barcelona Catalonia stand, Parc de l’Alba in Cerdanyola del Vallès, was selected as a finalist in the Best New Mega Development category at the Mipim Awards, out of 186 projects from 38 different countries.

Parc de l’Alba, located around the Alba Synchrotron, is a new 340.6-hectare sector that will become one of the most advanced platforms for science, technology and entrepreneurship. Its location around the synchrotron and close to the Autonomous University of Barcelona make the site an ideal location for new companies related to research, science, innovation and technology.

The MIPIM Awards are a real estate awards that were created in 1991 and are internationally recognised. The awards recognise the most outstanding projects, consolidated or about to be built all over the world. This year, the awards ceremony was held on Thursday 16 March at 18.30.

Barcelona Catalonia conference. The ESG strategy towards better cities and stronger businesses

The official programme of MIPIM included the Barcelona Catalonia conference. This year, the round table will be entitled The ESG strategy towards better cities and stronger businesses and will take place on Tuesday 15 March at 17.15 in the Verrier Grand Audi hall, at the Palais donis Festivals in Cannes. The conference was given by Jordi Gálvez, member of the governing board of Llar Unió Catalonia, Maria Buhigas, from Urban Facts, Miquel Morell, from Promoacsa, economist expert in real estate trends, and Olivia Blanco, Director of International Operations at PGI Engineering; and was moderated by Carles Vergara, associate professor of Financial Management at the IESE Business School.

The conference focused on the importance of incorporating ESG criteria, which seeks environmental, social and corporate governance, in order to achieve better cities and stronger businesses.

The official programme of the fair also included the Barcelona Conference, where the Commissioner for City Promotion, Pau Solanilla, presented the Green Deal as a framework of opportunity for foreign investment aligned with the values of fairness, sustainability and competitiveness. The conference, entitled “The Barcelona Green Deal: New Investment Opportunities”, explained the transformation of the Olympic Port, the enlargement of Mercabarna and the Diagonal-Besòs Campus. The presentation of the Olympic Port was given by Olga Cerezo, Director of this project, who explained the urban planning changes that the area is undergoing in order to open up to its immediate surroundings and to respond to the challenges of this new stage as a new centre of business activity around the Barcelona economy, of nautical dynamism and development of a new gastronomic model. The conference took place on Thursday 16 March at 10 a.m. in the Verriere Grand Audi of the Palais donis Festivals.

Betting on public-private partnerships to attract foreign investors

As in previous editions of the fair, Barcelona Catalonia has opted for a model of collaboration between public and private agents in the sector to make the range of projects on offer more attractive to foreign investors. In this sense, the Mipim stand was attended by 35 companies with an international vocation and municipal, metropolitan and supra-municipal administrations that collaborate in urban development projects in Catalonia. On this occasion, the Barcelona Catalonia stand was attended by the city councils of Cerdanyola del Vallès, Cornellà de Llobregat, l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Sant Vicenç dels Horts and Viladecans and the public institutions Catalonia Trade & Investment, Campus Diagonal-Besòs (UPC Barcelona Tech), Cimalsa, Parc del Començar el dia and the University of Barcelona.

Also in attendance were the companies Amat Immobiliaris, API – Col-legi i Associació d’Agents Immobiliaris, Archikubik, BuildingCenter, Cornex Capital, Fabregat Perulles Sales, Forcadell, Gina Barcelona Architects, Grup aFinance (aCapital – aRetail), L35 Architects, Maher Homes, Lava Corporació, Barcino Property, Domus Management, Fomenti, Invest Center Catalonia, Jap, JG Enginyers, Meridiana, Smart Point, Spinnia, Tasinsa, TrGrupo Immobiliario and the social housing cooperative Llar Unió Catalonia.

 

Financial Times Group highlights Catalonia and Barcelona as leaders in attracting foreign investment in Europe

According to FDi Magazine of the Financial Times group, Catalonia and Barcelona are the region and city, respectively, with the best strategy for attracting foreign investment in Europe. This ranking is highly valued by multinationals to study future business investment projects and recognises the strategy carried out by the Generalitat de Catalunya, especially that of ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment, which attracted 94 foreign investment projects, an investment of 620 million euros and the creation of more than 3,400 jobs by 2022. Of particular note is the ProACCIO Green programme, which offers support and aid to business projects related to sustainability.

The project of the South Korean company Iljin Materials, which will invest 600 million euros to open its first factory in Europe in Catalonia and create 500 jobs, stands out as an example of the success of the strategy of attracting foreign investment. FDi Magazine also highlights the presence of 12 universities in Catalonia that are helping to accelerate the region’s transformation into a leader in Industry 4.0. Catalonia was ranked first, along with Ile-de-France (France), in the category of Large European Regions of the Future – FDI Strategy. 

The recognition shows that Catalonia is attractive for foreign investment and is a magnet for high added value projects, according to the Catalan Minister of Enterprise and Employment, Roger Torrent. He also commented that “a large number of foreign companies in Catalonia decide to reinvest here again, so they have confidence in the country and in our government”.

The document places the Catalan capital in first place in fDI’s European Cities and Regions of the Future 2023 FDI Strategy category. The award also highlights “the city’s successful technology ecosystem, which received a boost last year with Intel’s decision to partner with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center to establish a microchip design lab”. Barcelona is ahead of European cities such as Dublin, Berlin, Munich and Milan.

Barcelona has lower house prices than before the pandemic

Despite its attractiveness as a place to live, with a wide cultural, leisure and gastronomic offer, and options in the labour market, the price of housing in Barcelona is 4,637 euros per m2, which makes it the only large city with lower prices than before the pandemic, according to Brainsre.

This is not the case for the rental market, which is at an all-time high, after several months of consecutive rises. It is currently at 20.1 euros per m2 per month. 

The difference between the price of new housing and that of used housing

The price of new housing in Barcelona has increased by 4.7% in the last year, currently standing at 6,452 euros per m2. In contrast, the price of used housing has remained relatively stable.

New Equinix data centre to be located at L’Hospitalet de Llobregat

Barcelona is positioned as a strategic hub for the connection of terrestrial and submarine telecommunications cables. The recently inaugurated Barcelona Cable Landing Station, located in Sant Adrià de Besòs, has accelerated the implementation of new data centres in the metropolitan area, which are vital for the digital transformation of companies and the economy.

Nasdaq-listed US company Equinix has announced the construction of a second data centre in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, where it has already had a similar facility since 2017. The new project, called International Business Exchange BA2, will require an investment of 52 million euros and is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2024.

The new data centre already has its first customer, the British multinational Colt Technology Services, which is also the first company to connect to the Barcelona Cable Landing Station.

Equinix has stated that this new facility in Barcelona will serve as a strategic connection point for data communications between Europe. Africa and the Middle East. The new facility will quickly become an essential submarine cable mooring location and will connect important cables such as 2Africa, Aqua Comms’ Europe-Middle East-India, Sipartech’s Medloop and Medusa, linking Barcelona to various Mediterranean, European and African markets.

Equinix vice-president Jim Poole highlighted the importance of submarine cables in enabling the digital world and foresees great progress in the next two years after the slowdown caused by the pandemic. Equinix noted that Barcelona continues to attract major international organisations in the technology area, mentioning companies such as Airbnb, Amazon, Google, HP, Microsoft and Ubisoft, which have invested in the city.

Microsoft is planning to hire 100 new employees at its artificial intelligence centre in Barcelona

The company has already hired around 80 people for the AI centre in recent months and plans to expand its team further. The news comes as Microsoft confirms the global layoff of 10,000 employees, representing around 5% of its total workforce.

On the other hand, Granados said the job cuts will not affect data centre projects in Spain, but some areas will be reprioritised towards more strategic projects. 

Microsoft opened its AI centre in Barcelona in September 2021 and it is the first of its kind in Spain, the fourth in Europe and the eighth in the world.

Investment in healthcare startups increases significantly in Catalonia

According to Biocat’s annual report, the Catalan healthcare startup ecosystem raised a total of 445 million euros in 2022, almost double the amount raised the previous year. The healthcare sector already represents 8.7% of Catalan GDP and is made up of 1,350 companies and a hundred research institutions, with an aggregate workforce of 247,600 workers. The CEO of Biocat, Robert Fabregat, highlights that “the ecosystem has continued to grow in most of the identifiers, despite the unstable international situation”, and describes 2022 as “historic”.

The €122 million round from Impress, which specialises in digital treatments for invisible braces, was the highest in the history of the healthcare sector and has driven investment growth. However, the sector would still have outperformed last year’s investment even without the Impress deal, attracting €323 million.

The biotech sector also broke records with €185m, while investment in digital health companies declined for the first time in five years, falling 40% compared to 2021, with only €39m.

Venture capital continues to be the main source of funding, providing 343 million euros, 77% of the total. The Biocat report on the Catalan healthcare sector shows that in 2022 competitive grants were the second most important source of funding for Catalan healthcare startups, with 53 million euros (12% of the total). This figure is the highest ever and almost doubles the figures achieved in previous years. The main contributions came from the European Innovation Council (EIC Accelerator) and the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI).

The health sector in Catalonia shows great business and research dynamism, with more than 1,200 active clinical trials in Catalan hospitals and a participation in 75% of the clinical trials carried out in the rest of Spain. Half of these trials focus on oncology, followed by cardiovascular diseases, ophthalmology, central nervous system, mental health and minority diseases. It should be noted that Catalonia ranks fifth in Europe in terms of scientific publications per million inhabitants.

The real estate market in Catalonia recorded its best year since 2007 with more than 102,000 home sales in 2022

During November 2022, the sale and purchase of homes in Catalonia increased by 19% compared to the same month of the previous year. This percentage is above the national average for Spain, which was 10.8%. In total, 8,822 home sales and purchases were carried out in Catalonia during this period, according to the INE. 

In Spain as a whole, the number of sales and purchases rose to 55,132, which is the best figure recorded since 2007. This increase represents 21 months of rises in Spain and a growth of 17%.

According to the Statistics on Transfers of Property Rights of the National Institute of Statistics, Catalonia closed the year 2022 with a total of 102,108 home sales and purchases, which represents an increase of 14.5% compared to the previous year. It is worth noting that this is the first time in the last fifteen years that the threshold of 100,000 transactions has been exceeded. The year-on-year increase in Catalonia was in line with the national average, which was 14.7%.

Port of Barcelona traffic hits record high leaving pandemic behind

After the pandemic, the Port of Barcelona has resumed its activity, surpassing the highest figure in the historical series so far, the 67.8 million tonnes in 2018.

The Port of Barcelona has registered a record at the operational level in 2022 and has managed to exceed its pre-pandemic turnover with 181 million euros. Although this income has been affected by a €25 million recovery plan to cope with the crisis, the year’s profits have improved on those of 2019, reaching €63 million. The Port’s president, Lluís Salvadó, highlighted these results as good, given the complicated international context in which they have been perceived.

The port’s total traffic has recorded a homogeneous growth in all segments, except for container traffic, which has remained similar to the previous year. Excluding containers, the most dynamic traffics have been potash and hydrocarbons, with an increase of 53% and 34.5%, respectively, driven by the investments made in previous years and the energy crisis. 

On the other hand, car traffic has improved significantly with an increase of 18.4%. It should be noted that exports have been affected by the lack of semiconductors and the closure of the Nissan plant. Imports grew by 63% and overall traffic by 145.7%.

José Alberto Carbonell, general manager of the Port of Barcelona, comments, “in recent years, the Port of Barcelona has become a distribution hub”, in order to understand the increase in traffic, with cars coming from Asia and being distributed throughout Europe from the Catalan capital. Electric cars account for 20% of imports, which are increasing and have made China the main origin, relegating Japan.

At present, the segment that continues to suffer the effects of covid are cruises, with 2.3 million passengers registered in 2022, still far from the 3.1 million of 2019, but above the 521,000 of 2021. Moderate growth is expected, between 2% and 3%, although improvements are expected on issues such as the recovery of routes with Barcelona as a home port and deseasonalisation.

Investment plan

The Barcelona Port Authority plans to invest some 300 million euros during 2023, according to Salvadó, “a qualitative leap” compared to previous years, with 32 million invested in 2021. Updating port infrastructures will be the most important item, with 200 million euros earmarked for new berths at the Moll de l’Energia and the enlargement of the Moll Adossat. 

In addition, 35 million euros will be invested in the electrification of the port and 28 million euros in new railway accesses. 31 million euros will also be earmarked for the renovation of the Port Vell, with the aim of preparing it for the America’s Cup.

The sale of plot 3 of Xàmenes in Martorell and Sant Esteve Sesrovires has been completed

The Institut Català del Sòl, INCASÒL, has finalized the commercialization of an industrial and logistic land of 36.791 m² in the sector Xàmenes, located in Martorell and Sant Esteve Sesrovires. The land was of public ownership and property of INCASÒL and the town councils of Martorell and Sant Esteve Sesrovires. In addition, the project includes three more privately owned plots and the development works of the sector are in progress, with an expected completion date of the second quarter of 2024.

Plot 3 is an industrial and logistics land located in the Xàmenes sector, in the southeast of the sector, with a green area to the north and plot 2 to the east. The sector is close to the SEAT factory in Martorell, and has access to the AP-7, A-2, high-speed line, and B-224 road. Its location is strategic in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, as it is less than 45 minutes from important communication infrastructures, such as the airport and the port of Barcelona, and from the main passenger and freight train routes. It is also well connected to the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya.

The development of Xàmenes is within the framework of the Urban Master Plan (PDU) for the economic activity of Baix Llobregat North, which includes three sectors: the Zona Oest, Can Cases and Xàmenes, with the aim of generating new opportunities for economic and territorial development in the area. Given that these are new development sectors, the PDU gives great importance to sustainability and landscape integration, incorporating landscape integration measures and architectural quality in the construction conditions.

Colt Technology, Barcelona Cable Landing Station’s first terrestrial customer

The Barcelona Cable Landing Station is a submarine fibre optic cable landing station located in Sant Adrià de Besòs, which is taking its first steps after its commissioning. The first cable powered by Meta has been announced and an agreement has been signed with the operator DE-CIX. In addition, the British multinational Colt Technology Services, which specialises in terrestrial fibre optic routes and network services, has become the station’s first terrestrial customer.

Colt Technology Services will be based in Sant Adrià to connect its cable landing station, the Barcelona Cable Landing Station, to Europe’s leading digital hubs such as Paris, London and Frankfurt. The company will have access to more than 1,000 data centres and 31,000 buildings in 220 cities in some thirty countries in Europe, Asia and North America. In addition, it will also provide an express overland route to other cable landing stations such as Lisbon, Bilbao and Marseille.

Colt Technology already had a presence on the Iberian Peninsula, where it has deployed a fibre optic network, nodes and data centre connections in cities such as Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao and Lisbon. In Barcelona, the company has 13 data centre connection points and will now add one more. The London-based company has also previously worked with the owner of the submarine cable station, Catalan company AFR-IX Telecom, which provides Internet access in more than 50 African countries.

The Barcelona Cable Landing Station has the capacity to accommodate up to eight submarine fibre optic cables from Africa, the Mediterranean and Asia, as well as terrestrial customers such as Colt. The third cable to arrive is expected to be the Medusa cable, built by AFR-IX and Nokia Group’s Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), the longest cable in the Mediterranean at 8,700 kilometres. The station is expected to reach full capacity in 2027.

Catalonia closes 2022 with the lowest unemployment since 2007

The difference between this year and the previous year is very notable, in December 2022 there were 22,820 fewer people registered as unemployed, compared to the same month in 2021, that is -6.18%.

The highest figures since records began in 2004 were reached, with 3,615,780.

Compared to December 2021, there was a fall in unemployment of 11.74% in Tarragona, -11.25% in Lleida, -9.88% in Girona and, finally, -4.31% in Barcelona. 

The number of unemployed people in Spain as a whole remains below 3 million, decreasing by 1.52% compared to the figures of November 2022. Over the past year, unemployment in Catalonia fell by -8.64%, below the Spanish average. 

More than one third -38% of all new contracts have been indefinite since the labour reform of the Gobierno Español came into force.

The Port Olímpic moves towards a sustainable economy and nautical activities

Barcelona City Council’s Governing Committee has begun processing the Special Urban Development and Uses Plan for the Port Olímpic. The aim is to turn this infrastructure into a space without barriers and with better connections, to create an area that promotes the blue economy and gastronomy, and to democratise access to marine activities.

The scope of the plan covers a total area of 180,925 square metres, of which 103,561 correspond to the land where the port infrastructure will be built, including the Mestral, Marina, Gregal, Xaloc and Dic de Recer, while the rest, 77,363 square metres, correspond to the sheltered sheet of water. The total ceiling foreseen for the scope of the plan is 32,700 square metres.

According to the City Council, the plan confirms the commitment to the nautical sector, the sustainable economy and catering as the central axes of the new Port Olímpic’s activity. 

In relation to the blue economy, nautical training, dissemination and recreational activities are promoted, with the aim of helping the people of Barcelona to gain a better relationship with the sea. The presence of entrepreneurs and nautical service companies will also be encouraged.

The plan places emphasis on improving accessibility to the Port of Barcelona, with the construction of new accesses from the Vila Olímpica and the beach, as well as the creation of public spaces specifically designed for walking and sporting activities. The City Council has reported that the works for the construction of the new access from the coastal ring road are progressing at a ‘good pace’, as well as the adaptation of the premises of the Moll of Mestral and the urbanisation of the Dic de recer. In addition, the refurbishment of the Sailing Centre is being put out to tender.

The plan also stresses the importance of promoting the use of green spaces, renewable energy and waste collection, among other initiatives to combat climate change and increase commitment to sustainability. 

Spain records 15% increase in the number of deep tech startups, with 291 in Catalonia

The technology startups currently employing the most people are in the biotechnology and artificial intelligence sectors. According to the study, deep tech companies employ more than 1,700 people.

Over the last five years there has been a boom in the creation of technology start-ups in Catalonia. The Minister of Enterprise and Employment, Roger Torrent, encourages to continue building this ecosystem of universities and top-level research centres in order to have more professionals in the advanced technology sector.

These startups provide pioneering technological and knowledge solutions in the fields of science, technology and engineering. They are completely new solutions, with the aim of creating new markets, such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology.

In 2022, a record was set in Catalonia, with some 159 million euros invested in this sector, making Barcelona the first hub in southern Europe based on the financing of deep tech startups.

The government also announced that a special fund with a budget of 2.5 million euros will be set up to subsidise deep-tech companies and those with a lifespan of less than three years. This grant, which will be in place from this year, will provide beneficiaries with up to 250,000 euros interest-free for the first four years. The creators of these start-ups will only have to repay 80% of the total credit received. This will contribute to the growth of Catalonia’s high-tech industry.

If these investments are realised, President Pere Aragonès expects more than 1,800 new job opportunities.

Barcelona enters the top 10 of the best cities in the world

According to this publication, Barcelona is the sixth best city in the world to live and work in. It is also one of the world’s top urban destinations. The city has climbed three positions in the ranking published by Resonance Consultancy, which, according to Bloomberg, is “a more comprehensive study”. The ranking not only takes into account tourist attractiveness, but also the city’s liveability, entertainment, cultural offerings, i.e. different economic, social and urban indicators. 

Barcelona is one of the cities most valued by the experts of Resonance Consultancy, for several reasons, such as the climate, the architecture, the colourful neighbourhoods, which they define as artistic, sophisticated and bohemian. These attributes make the city occupy the sixth position in the ranking. 

In the report created by “World Best Cities“, special mention is made of Barcelona’s commitment to a greener city and the initiatives that have been carried out to improve the tourist experience. 

Improvements in the Catalan capital

After a difficult situation for the city, the pandemic, tourism is slowly making a comeback. Visitors will encounter major changes in the city. One of them is the difficulty of accessing the city by car, as traffic has been restricted in certain areas and cycle lanes have been increased. The ranking mentions the transformation of Passeig de Sant Joan into a green corridor with cycle lanes, wide pavements, vegetation and outdoor benches. It also comments on the change that will be generated in La Rambla, with the aim of making it more accessible, without car traffic. 

Areas in which Barcelona stands out

The ranking is made on the basis of six areas in which it classifies one hundred cities in the world with more than one million inhabitants. The way it does this is by combining statistics and the opinions of citizens, both locals and tourists. 

The Catalan capital stands out in the areas of place (6th position) and product (5th position). Place refers to the quality of life enjoyed in a city. This ranges from the climate, safety, culture and attractions of the neighbourhoods, to the buildings, museums, transport and services of the city. Product refers to all the activities and services offered by the city. This includes university rankings, airport connectivity, convention centres, professional sports teams and other tourist attractions.

On the other hand, Barcelona is ranked number 7 in the area of programming, which includes the cultural and gastronomic agenda, among others; 12th in the area of promotion, which includes the number of stories, references and recommendations shared online about

a city; 53rd in people, which includes the immigration rate, diversity and educational level; and 154th in prosperity, which is determined by economic indicators that measure the labour supply and the employment rate, among others.

The 10 best cities in the world according to the “World’s best Cities” ranking:

  1.  London
  2. Paris
  3. New York
  4. Tokyo
  5. Dubai
  6. Barcelona
  7. Rome
  8. Madrid
  9. Singapore
  10. Amsterdam

Generalitat to approve the project to modernise Barcelona’s railway infrastructure

The urban master plan (PDU) for the creation of the southern rail-port node in the port of Barcelona has been initially approved by the Generalitat de Catalunya. The Territorial Commission has given the go-ahead to the document, which must go through a phase of allegations with the various entities affected by the urban redevelopment of the area and with the public. It is expected to receive final approval in the first quarter of 2023. The Generalitat is promoting the modernisation of the rail accesses to the port of Barcelona with the awarding of the preliminary phase of their construction.

The project affects 68 hectares of land in the southern area of the site

The rail-port node will incorporate up to six different terminals, which will extend in the southern part of the port area. The document lays the foundations for what is to be the Port of Barcelona’s Intermodal Logistics Terminal.

According to the Port Authority of Barcelona, the totality of infrastructures will be “a very powerful railway node”, which will provide a service to the port, but also to its surroundings: the Zona Franca, the Prantenc Industrial Estate and the industries located in the Baix Llobregat and the southern area of Barcelona. In addition, this node will facilitate a sustainable and efficient flow of maritime-terrestrial traffic, as well as land-maritime traffic. 

There are spaces that will fall into disuse, such as the Morrot terminal, so the urban plan considers how to make the most of these spaces. The plan also envisages the creation of 20.8 hectares of green public spaces and the Corredor Verde Parc Agrari del Llobregat – Parc de Montjuïc, is a network of itineraries connecting the different logistics and port areas to the natural spaces. 

As for Morrot, the future Intermodal Logistics Terminal is expected to absorb all its operations and free up its current terminal for a use yet to be defined. This investment is part of a comprehensive plan to improve connectivity with the surrounding area by building cycle lanes, improving pedestrian accessibility, extending the public transport network and developing green and recreational areas. The funds will also be used for the installation of security systems to improve the safety of workers and visitors to the port.

The Generalitat de Catalunya celebrates Cisco’s investment by opening its first semiconductor design centre in Barcelona

This is a strategic investment that will have a significant impact on boosting R&D activity in Catalonia. For the Government, this is an important investment linked to semiconductors, with the aim of boosting local industry and attracting new foreign investment projects to the sector. 

 

Government of Catalonia is delighted that the US multinational Cisco is opening a semiconductor design centre in Barcelona, making it the first city in the European Union to have such an infrastructure.

 

This type of investment is highly competitive internationally and contributes to guaranteeing Catalonia’s technological independence, as well as that of Europe. 

 

The relationship between Catalonia and Cisco has been growing closer in recent months. The Catalan president, Pere Aragonès, met during the last Mobile World Congress with the CEO of the multinational, Chuck Robbins, as well as with the company’s vice-president, Mark Patterson, and the general manager of Cisco in Spain, Andreu Vilamitjana. 

 

The new semiconductor design centre in Barcelona has created 150 new skilled jobs. The company has also expanded its Barcelona design centre by 1,200 m2 and plans to build a new 3,000 m2 building in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat with a test laboratory.

Renfe invests 5 million euros in new access controls at Rodalies stations

The project tendered by Renfe for the supply, replacement, installation and maintenance of access control machinery at Rodalies de Catalunya stations involves an investment of €5,122,342.32 including IVA.

 

The obsolete access control equipment is being replaced to install it in stations that do not have access control and wherever it is necessary. 

 

The new installations will be adapted for people with reduced mobility, will be bi-directional, and will have contactless card reader devices, 1D/2D barcodes and T-Mobilitat barcodes, both at the entrance and exit. 

 

This project responds to one of the points of Renfe’s Strategic Plan. This document includes the promotion of digital transformation and the provision of security and comfort for the customer. 

 

It is an action financed by NextGenerationEU funds. 

INCASÒL has been chosen as a partner in the Greening Cities partnership, framed in the Urban Agenda of the European Union

The choice of INCASÒL’s participation was made by experts contracted by the European Commission, highlighting “the work, experience and ideas of INCASÒL” as an important partner for this project.

 

The project will be coordinated by the Nuovo Circondario and the Romanian Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administrations, and will involve some twenty European organisations.

 

The initiative will focus on green and blue infrastructures in an urban context, taking into account aspects such as sustainable transport, water management or urban agriculture.

 

Being a partner in this project aims to develop action plans to improve existing regulations in order to meet the challenges of cities and urban areas. Furthermore, to improve and support innovative and more accessible financing funds for urban areas. On the other hand, to share and develop knowledge. 

Five urban innovation projects win the third edition of the “La ciudad proactiva” call for proposals

BIT Habitat, in charge of promoting urban innovation to respond to social, economic, technological and environmental challenges, launches the third edition of “La ciudad proactiva. Innovación con impacto”.

 

The winning projects will receive half a million euros, which will be used to finance up to 80% of each project. 

 

The five winning projects present solutions to address the challenges of energy transition, climate emergency, urban transformation, housing and social cohesion

 

The winning projects are:

 

  • Logirepak: presented by Fundación Catalana para la Prevención de Residuos y Consumo Responsable [Recero] y Design by Intuition [Paka] Urban logistics network for the reuse of packaging for fresh food in city markets. Subsidised with 120,000 €. 
  • TEPAC: presented by the following organisations: Batec Pol Cooperatiu per la Transició Energètica, Azimut 360 y La Fabric@. Seeking to unblock the use of communal rooftops to facilitate the construction of energy communities. Subsidised with 120,000 €.
  • RAVALoritza: presented by Transfolab Bcn and Raons públiques, participatory design and co-creation of furniture for the space of the Casal dels Infants del Raval youth group, with an educational strategy. Subsidised with around €40,000. 
  • RESPIRA: project presented by the group formed by Noumena Design Research Education, el Instituto de Arquitectura Avanzada de Cataluña, la Asociación de Vecinos y Vecinas del Poblenou and Plataforma de Entidades de las Roquetes. Subsidised with nearly €100,000.
  • DaTaLoG: initiative presented by Universidad Pompeu Fabra and Ideas for Change.Data trust that will allow, in a participatory manner, the use of water, electricity and gas consumption data to make better decisions on access, savings and the impact of energy consumption. Subsidised with approximately €115,000. 

 

In addition to financial support, BIT Habitat will provide the projects with expert mentoring and facilitate access to technology in order to develop prototypes. It will also provide technical accompaniment and communication and dissemination support. 

Currently, 22 innovative projects are underway thanks to this aid initiative launched in 2022.

The expansion of Parc de l’Alba and the Synchrotron is now a reality

He made the visit accompanied by the Catalan Minister for Research and Universities, Joaquim Nadal, and with them was the director of the ALBA Synchrotron, Caterina Biscari. Also present during the visit were Joan Gómez, Director General of Research, Carlos Cordón, the mayor of Cerdanyola del Vallès, Javier Lafuente, the rector of the UAB, Pere Solà, the director of Parc de l’Alba and Joan Borràs, the territorial delegate of Barcelona. 

 

Aragonès highlighted the ALBA II project as “one of Catalonia’s great scientific assets and an exceptional research tool”.  

 

TRANSFER OF LAND FOR THE ALBA II PROJECT

 

At the end of the visit, the President, accompanied by the Councillor and the director of ALBA, confirmed the transfer of the adjacent land to ALBA. This land will double the current surface area of the ALBA Synchrotron.

 

It is an opportunity for the future development of a scientific and innovation pole in collaboration with other institutions. 

 

The ALBA II project foresees the construction of three new extra-long beamlines to be located on the new land allocated to the project. The project will carry out the modernisation of existing scientific instruments, the development of the infrastructure to store and analyse data and the creation of a state-of-the-art instrument that will be available, from 2030 onwards, to the public and private scientific community with the aim of solving societal challenges and advancing knowledge of the world around us. 

Approval of the Biopol-Granvia del Hospitalet Urban Development Master Plan

This is the new version of the instrument, previously called PDU Gran Via-Llobregat, after the reformulation during the last two years after the courts declared it null and void in 2020.

 

This Pla Director Urbanístic is the way to establish the urban planning guidelines to develop the innovation and health “biocluster”. A group of companies linked to biomedicine in which the Bellvitge Hospital, the UB Health Sciences campus, the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and the Duran i Reynals Hospital, headquarters of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) will be present.

 

This project is led jointly by the Generalitat and the city council, which have stated that, “The mission of the new PDU is the transformation and development of the land to promote the implementation of a new pole of economic activity linked to research, biomedical research and health sciences”.

 

This project affects 8% of the territory of l’Hospitalet de Llobregat and involves an investment of some 229 million euros. The initial validation of this process is the most relevant procedure. The corresponding provisional and definitive approvals will follow later.

 

This project aims to strengthen and consolidate biomedical research and innovation through an ecosystem that attracts companies in the health sector. The initiative is expected to create around 50,000 jobs and a turnover of more than 7 billion euros.

Barcelona to invest 10 million euros in funds from fund managers based in the metropolitan area

The City Council’s aim is to consolidate the city as the digital capital of southern Spain. According to Deputy Mayor Jaume Collboni, ten million euros will be invested in six private venture capital funds through a new public-private fund, Barcelona Accelera

 

The six selected funds must commit to invest at least three times the amount committed by the city council, which in no case can be their initial investment, as their contribution will represent a maximum of 10%.

 

The aim of the council is to recover the capital invested within a decade and to promote start-ups in the city.

 

The projects will be chosen through a competition, in which certain requirements must be met. Some of these requirements are to be based in the Catalan capital or in a town in the metropolitan area and to form part of one of the strategic sectors that form part of the ‘Barcelona Green Deal’ schedule.  In addition, the city council will take into account for part of the investment, companies led by women. 

 

The initiative will be led by the municipal economic development agency Barcelona Activa

 

Aena boosts the growth of El Prat airport planned for 2024

To begin with, a hotel will be put out to tender in Terminal 2 from 2024, although construction will not be completed until 2026. There are also plans for 36 hectares of logistics space in front of T2 and, in time, the development of a hotel in T1, as well as offices. So far, Aena has not been able to carry out any of the project due to a lack of political consensus.

Despite opposition to airport expansion, Aena plans to develop 151 hectares at Barcelona airport. On the other hand, at Madrid-Barajas Airport, Aena awarded P3, a subsidiary of Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, the development of 32 hectares for logistics uses for around 170 million euros. The next step will be to add offices and hotels to the airport city by the end of next year. 

During the first half of 2025 it is planned to launch the logistics hub at the Costa del Sol-Malaga Airport and during the first six months of 2026, its hotel hub. The master plans for Valencia and Seville are expected to be finalised in 2023. 

More than 9,000 multinationals set up in Catalonia

The long list has just been joined by technology companies such as Cisco and its first European chip design centre in Ca L’Alier, the investments of Lenovo and Intel in the BSC, or that of the American MPS in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. There have also been incorporations in the automotive sector, with the South Korean ILJIN, and in the health sector, with AstraZeneca’s new technology centre for rare diseases, the digital centre of the Swiss company Ypsomed and Veeva, which specialises in software development for the pharmaceutical industry. 

In numbers, they have surpassed those before the pandemic, when there were 8,908 (2019). As a result, Acció is working with a portfolio of 613 foreign investment projects, which is 56% more than in 2020. 

Typology of companies

The more than 9,000 multinationals established in Catalonia account for 18.5% of employment in Spain. It is worth noting that the majority are located in the Barcelonès region (60.8%), Vallès Occidental (11.2%) and Baix Llobregat (10.6%).

Micro-companies are predominant with a percentage of 42.6%, ahead of small companies (29.1%), medium-sized companies (19.8%) and large companies, which account for the lowest percentage (8.5%). On the other hand, companies more than 20 years old since their creation stand out (33%). 

In terms of sectors, infrastructure and construction are by far the main players, with almost 2,000 companies, representing 13.1% of the total. They are followed by ICT and Industry 4.0 companies with 897, or 9.8%, and machinery and capital goods with 658, or 7.2%. 

On the other hand, the origin of these companies is varied, but by far the largest proportion comes from Europe (74%). Behind them are those from North America (15%) and Asia (8%). Finally, the countries that account for 57.7% of the total are France, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy.

The port of Barcelona wins the European Sea Ports Organisation’s annual award

The European association of ports (European Sea Ports Organisation) has awarded Barcelona. The city of Barcelona is ahead of five other European ports with the award, and is also ahead of Ceuta, the other Spanish candidate nominated for this recognition.

With the award, ESPO recognises the Port of Barcelona for its work in connectivity with the city for the maritime transport of passengers. In addition to rewarding the environmental and social sustainability of the project, which was a requirement to qualify for the award.

One of the members of the jury, Dimitrios Theologitis, emphasised that “the Catalan site has one of the largest port investment projects in Europe today”, congratulating it on its action, following the plan defined during the 1992 Olympic Games.

On the other hand, the President of the Port of Barcelona, Damià Calvet, celebrated the recognition of ESPO. A few hours after the winner of the award was announced, the highest authority of the Port of Barcelona related the award to the execution of the current strategic plan. Moreover, he commented, “if we did not have this strategic plan, it would be open to criticism, but we have it and it is being well executed”. 

Calvet admitted that, “it makes us particularly excited because it recognises the effort to think, reach a consensus and connect the port with the city, while maintaining port activity”. 

Barcelona improves its attraction of talent in Europe after the new law on ‘Startups’

There are several factors that determine a professional’s decision when deciding where to develop his or her career or invest. Not only the quality of life or pleasant weather. 

Barcelona has positioned itself in recent years as a winning city in the league of attracting international talent, even so, its potential has not been maximised as a result of some shortcomings. Some of these include excessive bureaucracy, a lack of English-language education and a number of other shortcomings that prevent the city from exploiting its full potential.

The Barcelona Global association’s main objective is to eliminate or reduce these obstacles. The organisation is convinced that Barcelona has the potential to become one of the world’s leading cities for talent and the economy. 

The new Startups Law, which the association has been working on for more than five years, has specific objectives. Starting with effectively improving taxation, reducing bureaucracy and boosting the entrepreneurial ecosystem and attracting talent. 

Although the regulation is an improvement for the whole of Spain, it will mainly benefit the Catalan capital, according to Maite Barrera, president of the association involved. The city will be able to better capitalise on the changes introduced, given that it is currently considered the third favourite city in Europe to create a startup.

Some of the successful tech companies born in Barcelona are Glovo, Wallbox, Travelperk, Factorial, eDreams and Privalia, all of which have added value to the Catalan capital. In addition, the new law will attract digital hubs of large companies such as Nestlé, Pepsico, HP and Amazon, among others. 

Barcelona is pioneer in setting up an interchangeable battery station for cars and motorbikes

Cepsa and Acciona-Silence have joined forces to promote this electric battery exchange point for cars and motorbikes. Barcelona is the pioneer city in setting up this station. The main objective of the project is to facilitate the rapid recharging of batteries. 

Carlos Sotelo, CEO of Silence and Mobility Acciona explains, “the user arrives and has an already charged battery at his disposal”. The executive adds, “we are talking about a system that is more economical and cleaner than petrol”. 

The exchange station will be located on Carrer Comte d’Urgell. In the coming months, the two companies plan to build ten similar facilities in Barcelona and the country’s capital. 

Main advantages of the service

The main advantage of this new service is its immediacy, as the process is very similar in time to refuelling. In addition, this service encourages the use of electric vehicles, offering a 40% saving on the purchase cost. In this case, the batteries are not included, they are rented.

This service will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Customers will pay a monthly fee to take advantage of the service and, according to media reports, a fee that is significantly lower than that paid for fuel.

 This test responds to the need to anticipate future scenarios such as the increasing demand for green hydrogen in road vehicle transport. The ultimate goal is for the population to have access to renewable energy sources, in the shortest possible time, in order to guarantee long journeys without problems. 

In 2022 the tourism sector in Catalonia will provide 7.8% more employment than in 2021

During October, tourist employment in Catalonia fell by 4.3% compared with September. In figures, 12,496 workers were no longer employed in October compared with the previous month. This event coincides with the end of the summer season and is not perceived as negative, as compared with the previous year, recruitment has increased by 7.8%. 

In Spain as a whole, the tourism sector employed 2.5 million people in October, 69,834 fewer than in September. Even so, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism emphasised that this is the best historical record for the tenth month of the year. In the whole of Spain the growth was 6.4%.

Compared to last year, the number of employed workers increased by 10.2%, a figure that is worth noting. On the other hand, self-employed workers decreased by 1%.  In figures, there were 225,703 employees and 55,240 self-employed.

Inflation in Catalonia falls in the last quarter of the year

The improvement has been noticeable during the last months of the year, as in September we were 1.7 percentage points below the previous month’s 10.2%. It is worth noting that July recorded an all-time high of 10.3%. 

This change in prices has been mainly influenced by the decrease in the prices of electricity, gas, clothing and footwear. On the other hand, food and non-alcoholic beverages increased. 

As for the food sector, fresh vegetables and pulses have increased (+24.6%), as well as oils and fats have increased in price (+22.6%). On the other hand, the most significant increase was in sugar 36.5%. 

Other categories that experienced an increase were transport (+8.3%), restaurants and hotels (+7%).

It is worth noting that the only category where prices fell was communications (-2%).

Pimec issues a warning after celebrating October’s decline

The association of small and medium-sized enterprises, Pimec, welcomed this improvement in prices in October, but warned that inflation could be reflected in other areas. 

The organisation said in a statement that actions were being taken to curb the rise in electricity prices and were having an effect. But on the other hand, it remarked that this was not possible with fuel prices or the food sector. 

The employers’ organisation claims that prices remain very high in all sectors, even in those that are gradually decreasing. 

Successful Saló Nàutic closes with 50.000 visitors and more than 700 vessels

This year’s event had a clear focus on sustainability, featuring electric and hybrid boats.

The 60th edition of the Saló Nàutic Internacional de Barcelona closed on 16th October with more than 50,000 visitors, 279 exhibitors, more than 700 boats and 80 novelties, according to the Fira de Barcelona.

It was held at the Moll de la Madera, the Moll de España and the Marina Port Vell in Barcelona and lasted five days. The event has increased its offer by 22% and has increased its space by 40%, according to the Fira de Barcelona.

The event aimed to promote sustainability in the sector, showcasing new electric and hybrid boats. The show was attended by 400 international buyers, who were able to see 28 catamarans and 14 boats, which are candidates for the Mejor Barco Europeo del Año.

The fair has been the setting for the presentation to visitors of the America’s Cup, which will be held in 2024 off the coast of Barcelona. For this reason, the New Zealand organising team has been present and the visit of the members of the Swiss team Alinghi, a group that is already training in the Catalan capital, has been reported.

INNOVATION

Fifteen start-ups from seven different countries have presented their projects for a digitised and less aggressive marine environment. A small-scale boat has been presented, with an aesthetic similar to that of a car, which functions as a taxi but at sea. This is the project of the company Seabubble and the difference it presented compared to similar projects from other years is that the boat is completely electric. The aim of this proposal is to save time and energy, according to statements made by Joan Company, one of the promoters of this project.

Another innovation presented during the show was a remotely operated life-saver, with the purpose of reaching the victim as quickly as possible. It is a project created by a Valencian company called Proteus. The lifeguard has a built-in microphone and loudspeaker, so that the rescuer and the victim can be in contact.

The event organisers have declared that “it has been one of the best events in recent years thanks to the large number of visitors registered, the quality of the offer and the business contacts generated”, which helps to reinforce the event as a leader and benchmark in the sector in Spain.

Barcelona is home to 3 of the best universities in the world according to the THE Ranking

A prestigious ranking of the best universities, headed by Oxford, Harvard and Cambridge, has ranked the Universitat de Barcelona, the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra as the best Spanish educational centres.

Barcelona has three of the two hundred best universities in the world, according to The World University Ranking, published by The Times Higher Education, the most renowned magazine in university education. The ranking involved the analysis of 2,325 academic centres from a total of 104 countries. Despite the fact that only 1,799 universities competed, which are those that met the requirements for classification.

The 182nd place in the ranking of the best universities in the world is occupied by the Universitat de Barcelona, followed by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, which occupies the consecutive position, 183rd. And with very little difference is the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in the 186th position of the ranking.

The Top 200 ranking is led by ten American and British universities, but it is worth noting that the only Spanish universities on the list are from Barcelona.

INDICATORS THAT ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE RANKING PROCESS

The Times Higher Education ranking is based on thirteen indicators that measure five specific areas: teaching, research, academic appointments, internationalisation and knowledge transfer, and it should be noted that not all universities score equally well on these indicators. The three Barcelona universities have a similar score, with the Universitat de Barcelona obtaining a total score of 55.7 points, the Autónoma de Barcelona a total of 55.6 and Pompeu Fabra a total of 55.4.

The rector of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Oriol Amat, attended the celebration ceremony in which the data of the study was released, held in New York. He said, “We once again remain among the top 200 universities in the world and among the leaders in Spain. Constant improvement is one of the main pillars of UPF’s work, and the rankings help us to know what we are doing well and what we can improve”.

In the case of the UPF, it stands out for its business and law branches, its research and its international impact. The UAB is one of the best universities to study humanities and the quality of its teaching stands out in Europe. And the UB stands out as one of the most prestigious universities in the world in terms of research impact, especially in the field of medicine.

By the end of this year the Barcelona Cable Landing Station will be ready to receive the first submarine cables.

The first digital port in Catalonia is located in Sant Adrià de Besòs. It will be a strategic area for fibre optic connections in southern Europe.

Barcelona Cable Landing Station is the first landing station to be built in Catalonia with an international dimension. This infrastructure will soon become a benchmark digital port in the Mediterranean. The first two cables are expected to arrive at the end of the year, although the infrastructure is ready to receive up to eight submarine fibre optic cables.

The infrastructure has involved an investment of seven million euros. All the capital has been provided by AFR-IX telecom, which is a Catalan telecommunications company that has promoted the project and will soon move its headquarters to the building.

“Considering that 98% of internet traffic is carried by submarine cable, Barcelona Cable Landing Station will be a key part of gaining connectivity with the world,” said Norman Abi, CEO of the company.

Over the next ten years, all eight international submarine cables are expected to land, making the infrastructure an essential hub for the digital economy of the entire country, creating an alternative to the port of Marseille, which is currently suffering from saturation due to the high number of cables landing there.

WHAT IS A SUBMARINE CABLE?

Submarine cables perform the same function as an aircraft at an airport, but in this case they carry information. The data on these fibre optic cables is sent from the landing station to different data centres.

In this case, it is the first open port in Catalonia and the second in Spain, i. e-access for unrestricted cable access. It is an innovation, since usually each company that owns a cable has to build its own landing station for the cable connection.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The location of the digital port is in Sant Adrià de Besòs. It is a two-storey building with a total area of 2,657 m2 in which eight rooms have been fitted out for laying the submarine cables, each with a capacity for 16 telecommunications racks. The facilities meet all safety standards, as well as energy efficiency, since the structure has 194 solar panels.

New incubator dedicated to the logistics business in the Zona Franca de Barcelona

The Zona Franca Consortium of Barcelona has won a public call for grants from the Incyde Foundation of the Spanish Chambers of Commerce to set up a high-tech logistics 4.0 Incubator, which will be located in the DFactory Barcelona.

After resorting to a public call for aid from the Incyde Foundation of the Spanish Chambers of Commerce, it has allowed them to cover 50% of the two million euros of investment planned for this initiative. This project will be active towards the beginning of 2023, according to sources from the Zona Franca.

The project will cover different objectives oriented towards emerging technologies within the logistics sector. The incubator aims to improve business competitiveness, the value of new technological applications and increase economic activity in the Zona Franca de Barcelona by increasing its attractiveness. In order to optimise the different processes, it involves robotics and automated warehouses. And to optimise the processes, the big date will be used to collect all the data generated.

The incubator will enable Catalonia to prosper with competitive advantages. It will make up 29% of Spain’s logistics surface area. It has some 39,000 companies in the sector, which is why it is a key territory for boosting the sector. The main improvements will be in the efficiency and versatility of production processes, as well as the internationalisation of initiatives and the development of innovation and specialised talent.

On the other hand, the opportunities of this project are to increase the economic impact and develop greater digital competences, both in skills and knowledge to consolidate the logistics centre.

Incyde has launched 23 high-tech incubators throughout Spain. Pepe Navarro, State delegate in the Zona Franca Consortium of Barcelona, stressed the importance of this because, “it is a key moment in the development of the logistics sector”. He added that the objective is to strengthen and reinforce the role of the Zona Franca.

Catalonia recovers 88% of the international tourism compared to the previous 2019

According to a study conducted by the Agència Catalana de Turisme, Catalonia has recovered 88% of international tourism this year, compared to 2019. There has also been an increase in business tourism, with 81% compared to 2019.

On the other hand, the most visited tourists were from the United States, 33.5% more than three years ago. This was followed by the Dutch with an increase of 24.11% and Switzerland and the Nordic countries with almost a quarter. Although the figures for France and Ireland were only 5% more than in 2019.

Although the figures are positive compared to 2019, expenditure and overnight stays are still lower than in the year before the pandemic. According to research, these facts are conditioned by the closure of powerful international markets such as Japan, Russia and China.

“We have to look at where we are and put the tools in place to adapt to the medium and long-term transformations,” said the Minister for Enterprise, Roger Torrent, looking ahead to 2023, and affirming that it will be a key year for defining what tourism is expected in the territory.

The District, a new opportunity to open our activities to the world

From October the 19th to October 21st Barcelona has held a new real estate fair that aims to be a new voice within the real estate industry. During those days, Barcelona, its Metropolitan Area, and Catalonia, through the name Barcelona Catalonia, have been sharing their projects amongst the international public that attended the fair. Barcelona Catalonia has also held different debates and conferences both at the Main Auditorium and at the Innovation Arena.

The Barcelona Catalonia Conference, which took place on Friday the 21st at the main auditorium revolved around the idea of talent and innovation and how those are key factors for a stable business environment, and how Barcelona and Catalonia manage them. der the title of “Barcelona Catalonia: Talent & Innovation Hub”, the session was moderated by the associated director of the bTEC foundation Diagonal-Besòs Campus at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, and the speakers were Jordi Arrufí, director of Talent & Knowledge at the Mobile World Capital Barcelona, John Derweduwe, managing Partner for Spain and Portugal at Heylen Warehouses, and Eusebi Carles, partner at capital markets offices at Cushman & Wakefield.

All the panel agreed on the fact that Barcelona and Catalonia are perfect places to locate a company and to develop its innovation projects. Arrufí argues that Barcelona is appealing to tech companies as it has rejoined “academia, the start-ups, investors and R&D centers”, creating a space where all those companies and institutions can help each other, creating a great networking environment. There’s another aspect added to it, that has been pointed out by Derweduwe, that is that Catalunya is not only the “powerhouse of Spain” but also offers “cheaper land” as well as “qualified workforce”.

Looking at the future, the three of them agreed that some changes need to be done in order to appeal to more companies and their workers. For Carles, it is essential to make the “office more attractive”, incorporating more “collaborative spaces”. Ironically the lack of them during the pandemic is what made companies realize their great value of them.

THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR PROJECTS WITH THE INTERNACIONAL PUBLIC

On top of the Barcelona Catalonia Conference, the different Barcelona Catalonia partners had a space at the Innovation Arena to present their main projects on the real estate sector, and how it is interesting for the international public to invest in Barcelona, its metropolitan area, and Catalunya.

The mayor of Esplugues de Llobregat, Pilar Díaz, presented the main developing sectors of the city, a growing city next to Barcelona and the main communication facilities. Those sectors, Porta Barcelona, el Gall and ARE Montesa, are perfect both for economic activity and residential land, with a special focus on the hospitality sector.

The mayor of Cerdanyola del Vallès, Carlos Cordón, and Joaquim Maria Vidal, from INCASÒL’s sales department, presented the Parc de l’Alba, a growing sector at Cerdanyola del Vallès with both residential and economical land. It is a great sector for innovation and technological infrastructures, as it is located next to research hubs such as the Alba synchrotron and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. It is also next to AP-7, the main road connecting south Spain with Europe, and no further than 20 minutes from the main communication facilities.

Finally, Albert Dalmau, manager of Economy, Resources, and Economic Promotion at the Barcelona City Council presented Barcelona’s Green Deal, an ambitious plan to transform the city towards a more sustainable and appealing place, starting with seven strategic areas. The idea is to pacify those areas, rehabilitating old buildings and creating more green spaces integrated with the city and its architecture.

SYNERGIES

During the celebration, more than 380 international experts met and shared the major unknowns, challenges and trends facing the industry today and provided useful responses to address these unknowns.

On the other hand, they had more than 250 exhibition signatures presenting their real estate projects. Thus, international investors were able to know at first hand the real estate assets that will mark the future of investments. Several networking activities took place to boost the real estate business. There was a unique program of Premium meetings to encourage synergies.

Catalonia announces the largest mobilization of logistics land in history.

The Generalitat has launched the largest mobilisation of logistics land in history. It will expand the logistics park in Vilarodona (Tarragona) by adding 3,400 gross hectares. At the same time, a similar park will also be set up in Lleida, in the Torreblanca area.

This was confirmed by the Vice-President and Minister for Digital Policies and Territory, Jordi Puigneró, at the event “Transforming to grow. Catalonia’s logistical impetus”, in which he also highlighted that logistics accounts for 14.4% of the Catalan GDP, with more than 27,500 active companies in the sector and generating 130,000 direct jobs.

During the event, it was recalled that in the 90s, the Generalitat was already aware of the importance of the logistics sector, so it created the public company Cimalsa, which manages a wide network of logistics parks and plans the implementation of several intermodal stations to facilitate the transport of goods by rail.

In addition to the creation of logistics parks, through the approval of Urban Development Master Plans (PDU), Puigneró also explained that for the Generalitat, consolidating the Ports of Barcelona and Tarragona is a priority policy. In this context, he commented that the logistics land at the Tarragona docks will be increased by 20%.

Office space in Barcelona rises by 6.5% in the first quarter of 2022.

According to data published by the real estate consultancy Cushman & Wakefield, office take-up in Barcelona during the first quarter of 2022 increased by 6.5% compared to the same period last year, reaching a total of 92,000 square metres.

A total of 82 deals were signed, 18% more than during Q1 2021 and 24% more than the quarterly average for the whole of last year.

The 22@ district and the city centre were the main areas, with between 50% and 60% of demand going to these areas of the city, where prime rents remain at 27.25 euros per month per square metre. In terms of energy quality, the trend of previous years has continued, with 85% of demand prioritising buildings of type A and B+.

According to Javier Bernades, director of offices in Spain at Cushman & Wakefield, the increase in take-up “demonstrates the commitment of companies, across the board, to develop their working models around the office” and adds that “there is a progressive trend towards a return to the physical office after a period of uncertainty marked by the pandemic”.

 

Million-dollar investment in a new artificial intelligence hub in Sant Cugat

Following the acquisition of the start-up Shotl by the Emirati group Swvl, the multinational will locate its new hub for artificial intelligence applied to urban mobility services in Sant Cugat. The company plans to invest around five million euros to train a team of 50 technology professionals by the end of this year.

 

 

In August, Swvl acquired the start-up Shotl, which specialises in an on-demand bus service for companies and public administrations. The start-up’s founders comment: “They made us an offer we couldn’t refuse. Orders were down because of the pandemic crisis”, without disclosing the purchase price.

The multinational went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange and raised around 500 million to finance its growth.

With the transaction (formalised in November), Shotl will see its brand disappear, but its technology and team will be more alive than ever. With the opening of an artificial intelligence hub in Sant Cugat, the group will take advantage of local talent and attract foreign professionals.

AGC Pharma will invest €90 million to expand its factory in Malgrat de Mar

The Japanese company AGC Pharma Chemicals will invest 90 million euros in the expansion of its factory in Malgrat de Mar (Barcelona). This project has the support of ACCIÓ, the agency for competitiveness of the Regional Ministry of Enterprise and Employment.

This enlargement will increase the factory’s production capacity by 30%, with a new 7,500 square metre centre and the creation of 100 jobs. In addition, these new facilities will have reactors of between 1.5 and 7.5 cubic metres to produce a greater volume of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Roger Torrent, Minister of Business and Employment, visited the AGC facilities and said that “key investments are being decided in this sector and projects like those of AGC help us to explain to the world that Catalonia has assets that make us very competitive, such as a very powerful research and health system and a strong business environment”.

For his part, Akihiro Kadokura, CEO of the company, explained that its new plant will be “more modern and technological”. The multinational is part of the Japanese group AGC Group, which was established in Catalonia in 2019 and currently has 330 workers.

Schneider Electric bets on Barcelona for its digital hub

The French company Schneider Electric, which specialises in technological solutions for the energy sector, is to open a technology centre in the 22@ district, where the firm already has its headquarters in Spain.

Josu Ugarte, president of Schneider in the Iberia region, recognises the potential of the city of Barcelona to attract digital talent, as well as the large ecosystem of star-ups and benchmark IT companies.

The opening of this new space will mean the hiring of more than 200 people during 2022, bringing the total number of employees to around 500. Its main objective will be to lead the company’s digital transformations, driving data analysis, work in the cloud and e-commerce.

Wallbox opens its third electric car charger factory in Barcelona.

Image source: Wallbox

Wallbox, the Spanish manufacturer of charging solutions for electric cars, has inaugurated this April its third charger factory in the world, which will be located in Barcelona. This will be the first of two that it will start up this year, along with the one in Arlington, Texas, which it plans to open in September.

The company has invested nine million euros in this new plant in Barcelona’s Zona Franca, which currently employs 203 people and produces at a rate of 1,200 chargers per day, although it plans to reach one million units per year and employ 520 people when operating at full capacity by 2025.

The inauguration event of the new plant was attended by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto; the President of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonés; the Mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau; and the CEO of Iberdrola, Sánchez Galán, the company that helped develop this unicorn by being its first investor.

“Wallbox is one of our unicorns, one of our start-ups with the greatest international projection. A success that is due to its decisive commitment to talent and national capabilities. Spain is an attractive country for investment, we want many more Wallboxes”, declared Reyes Maroto, the Minister of Industry, during the event.

During the event, Enric Asunción, CEO and co-founder of Wallbox, reviewed the company’s trajectory, highlighting that “We are no longer a start-up, we have grown up”. The company was born in 2015, and in just seven years, it has grown from a single charger in 2015 to more than one million according to estimates for this year.

Incasòl plans to develop 8,000 hectares of industrial land in four years.

The Institut Català del Sòl, INCASÒL, will develop a strategic plan to generate 8,000 hectares of land for industrial and logistical uses, planned to take place between 2022 and 2025.

Faced with the great demand for areas of more than 10,000 square metres, Incasòl plans to expand its current 443,000 square metres of land. By 2025, the 8,000 hectares it seeks to include in the plan will be developed through different plans.

Among them, the urban master plans that it is promoting in Torreblanca-Quatre Pilans, in Lleida, with 1,280 hectares, will stand out. Other outstanding estates are Catalunya-Sud (already for sale), Tortosa and two more in the Logis Empordà area.

It also intends to include high-demand areas currently under study, comprising 600 hectares in the Gavà and Valls areas. It does not neglect other municipalities with less demand, but with a need for territorial rebalancing, such as Cardona, Olvan and Organyà.

Furthermore, it is important to note that the contracting of industrial and logistics land in Barcelona stood at 885,000 square metres in 2021, 129% more than the previous year. Given the scarcity of this type of land, it is good news that the intention to continue adding metres in the coming years is good news.

Barcelona accounts for 70% of technology company recruitment in Spain

According to a statement from CBRE at the Trends 2022 event, in 2021, 70% of the hiring of technology companies in Spain took place in Barcelona. Xavier Güell, director of the consultancy firm in Barcelona, explained that the technology sector has become “the main sector in terms of recruitment” in the city.

The Catalan capital’s presence in the technology sector not only stands out at the national level, but also leads the European ranking of cities with the greatest exposure to the technology sector, with 48%, ahead of Amsterdam (37%), Dublin (31%), Bucharest (29%) and London (29%).

In recent years, Barcelona has experienced one of the highest growth rates in the technology sector, given that in 2017, it was the seventh European city in this same ranking and in 2021 it has reached the first position.

The consultancy firm highlights 22@ as one of the main reasons for the city’s consolidation as a pole of attraction for the technology sector. According to the report, it notes that the Torre Glòries area “is becoming an extension of the traditional City Business District (CBD), with 80% of its buildings having Grade A quality”.

Another key factor is rental growth. Although Barcelona is one of the cities where rent has increased the most in the last six years, the city is still very competitive in terms of office rent. CBRE expects the city to show significant increases in the coming years.

Another key element, as highlighted by the report, is the strong and sustained progression in recruitment since 2013. In 2015 and 2019, the city reached a record high of 400,000 m². Despite the sharp drop in 2020, in 2021, contracting in Barcelona grew by 90%.

Parc de l’Alba becomes the largest Data Centre in Catalonia

Following the award of a plot of land to the firms Panattoni, which will locate a data processing, storage and distribution centre (DPC), and Impar Capital, which will develop a student residence. Parc de l’Alba, in Cerdanyola del Vallès, has become the largest data centre hub in Catalonia.

With an investment of 36.6 million euros, the two firms have acquired nearly 80,000 square metres of land, located in the Parc de la Ciència. As the Vice President for Digital Policies, Jordi Puigneró, announced during the MIPIM fair in Cannes (France), “Today we are showing the power of one of the areas on which Catalonia is focusing on the coming years. We want to be a digital nation, and today we have signed the contract for the largest Data Processing Centre in Catalonia, making Parc de l’Alba the most important Data Centre hub in the country”.

Panattoni and Impar Capital have jointly presented themselves to the tender called by INCASOL, but each will develop its own project independently, and foresee an investment of more than 150 million euros.

In the case of Panattoni, it has acquired a plot of 68,058.56 m² in which it plans to invest a total of 100 million euros in the construction of the largest data processing centre in Catalonia. This centre will attract major opportunities for industrial and logistics projects from all over Europe.

Impar Capital has acquired a plot of 11,514.74 m² in which it plans to invest 5.93 million euros in the construction of a student residence with 375 beds.

Barcelona Catalonia consolidates its leadership in attracting investment at MIPIM 2022

Barcelona Catalonia represents the alliance between the Generalitat de Catalunya, through INCASÒL, the Barcelona City Council and the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, united with the aim of promoting inclusive, sustainable and cohesive development models.

Under the slogan Barcelona Catalonia. Open for Business! This is the 15th year that we are attending MIPIM, the world’s leading real estate fair, in Cannes (France), in search of potential foreign investors who want to bring their projects to the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona.

Among the projects presented, we highlight our Barcelona Green Deal strategy, in which we collect the priority lines of economic promotion aligned with the 2030 agenda, towards a more competitive, sustainable and equitable city, adapted to challenges such as the ecological and digital transition.

On the other hand, the Parc de l’Alba project, after the latest award of one of its plots for 36.6 million euros, will become the largest Data Center in Catalonia.

Finally, we highlight the “Illa A Business Park, Viladecans” project, the new 26,357 m² Business Center in Viladecans, which combines office complexes with common green spaces, maintaining the continuity of the landscape through architecture.

Our big conference of this edition of MIPIM was “New regeneration for business! Metropolitan opportunities for global companies” in which we discussed how urban regeneration factors, with a mix of uses, the application of sustainability and digitalization, are the best platform for the regeneration of the economy.

It is also worth highlighting the presentation “Catalonia, a land of business Opportunities” and laMercedes project, the first eco-district in Barcelona, finalist in the MIPIM Awards.

In this video, we summarise everything that this great fair has meant and the effect of our presence to promote the metropolitan area of Barcelona:

  • 250 square metres of exhibition space
  • Six presentations at the stand
  • 900 visits to the Barcelona Catalonia stand
  • 230 attendees at our promotional events
  • Two conferences within the official programme of MIPIM
  • The Barcelona Catalonia brand has reached 8,000 visitors to MIPIM

 

The Port of Barcelona will invest 110 million in electrifying its docks

By 2030, the Barcelona Port Authority will invest 110 million euros in the electrification plan for the Adossat quay, the Costa quay, the Prat quay and the Sant Bertran dock.

This action will enable a 38% reduction in nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide emissions during the stay of ships in the port, which currently represent 0.7% of all emissions generated in Catalonia.

When ships dock in port, despite switching off the engines they use to move around the sea, they need to activate others to supply power to the stationary vessel. With the electrification of the docks, the Port of Barcelona will avoid this burning of fuel and thus reduce the environmental impact of the infrastructure.

Another fundamental element in the electrification plan for the Port of Barcelona docks is the construction of a new electricity substation on the Ronda Litoral ring road by the electricity grid, with a capacity of 220 kV.

The startups that have received Acció’s support have created 500 jobs

The Startup Capital support programme of Acció (Agency for the Competitiveness of Enterprise) has helped to generate up to 500 new jobs. The 86 start-ups that have accessed this support have raised more than 33.5 million euros in private investment and 39.5 million euros from public bodies in the last 4 years.

The Startup Capital line is a direct aid for emerging technology startups, which need funding to carry out the initial phases of the business, develop their product or service and validate the business model to reach the market. Acció grants up to 75,000 euros per startup, covering the risk of their first months of life.

The main areas in which the 86 companies that have benefited so far are health (32.1%), digitalisation (30.4%), environment (15.2%), manufacturing (11.6%), food (6.3%) and mobility (4.5%).

Barcelona sets an all-time record for investment of 108 million in real estate assets

Barcelona City Council has allocated more resources to acquiring assets in 2021 than ever before. With a total of 108.5 million euros, 4.5 million euros more than the initial budget, the city council has become one of the main investment agents in the city in terms of operations, with 78 sales: 55 commercial premises, 13 estates and 13 single buildings with a total of 369 homes.

With all these operations, the city council has pursued a triple aim: the recovery, for the public sphere, of real estate assets of special interest and cultural, historical or social relevance; economic reactivation; and the increase in the public housing stock.