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In the fieldof scientific and technological production, two
aspects are worth mentioning: the Biocat Foundation,
whose aim is to create a strong research environment,
an active transfer of knowledge and a dynamic business
ecosystem in the field of biomedicine and biotechnology,
and the Eurocat Technology Centre, which is the result
of the union of five advanced technological centres
in Catalonia and promotes business competitiveness
acting as a bridge between research, i.e. knowledge
generation, and companies, i.e. value generation.
A magnet for talent
One of the clear pillars of Catalonia is its indisputable
ability to attract talent, which, coupled with powerful
local talent, makes investing in Catalonia very attractive.
Excellence in the field of education is demonstrated by
the fact that Barcelona is home to some of the most
prestigious business schools in the world such as IESE,
ESADE or EADA, according to various international
rankings; also noteworthy is the fact that it also has 3 of
the 50 best universities in the world under 50 years old,
according to the QS 2017 World University Rankings,
and that The Times Higher Education has ranked the
Catalan university system as the 3rd best in Europe.
In total, the 12 Catalan universities currently offer 600
degrees to 220,000 students.
Catalonia is a magnet for young professionals and
researchers from all over Europe. And also for the
23,000 foreign students who come every year to the
universities here. All these factors create a Catalonia
open to the world and with a strong tradition of
accepting newcomers that builds an environment
with great cultural diversity and an inclusive, modern
and cosmopolitan mentality. What’s more, Catalonia
has all the ingredients to become a meeting point for
international businesses and is the best setting for
shared service centres that can offer their services in
thirty different languages.
A European hub for tech startups
Catalonia’s dynamic economy is clearly seen in the
growing start-up ecosystem located mainly in the city
of Barcelona. According to the Barcelona & Catalonia
Startup Hub directory, Catalonia has more than 1,150
startups, the vast majority with a technology base.
Several reputable international rankings place Barcelona
among the top 5 European cities in terms of startups
and digital entrepreneurship. These classifications
consider the presence of local and international
incubators and accelerators, access to venture capital
funds and business angels, the ability to attract local and
international talent, the presence of international fairs
such as the Mobile World Congress and, also, a highly
appealing quality of life.
It is a buoyant and growing ecosystem that attracts
investors and offers business opportunities in different
industries, especially in the ICT field where Catalonia
has 13,000 companies, employing more than 84,000
workers, a turnover of 14,000million euros and investing
200 million euros per year in R&D. This guarantees top
level suppliers and providers for foreign companies
interested in investing in Catalonia.
All these reasons mean Catalonia has the strengths to
keep on being one of Southern Europe’s main players.
From the Government of Catalonia, through Catalonia
Trade & Investment, we urge and encourage all
companies in search of a place where they can grow,
expand and integrate into international trade flows to
come to Catalonia, a land where everything is possible,
and with all the guarantees to build and expand any
business.
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