What makes Barcelona one of the most appreciated cities in the world? Architecture, climate, and culture are some of the attractions that draw millions of people to the Catalan capital each year. To these attractions, for years Barcelona has added its position as a European technological capital, with 22@ as the sector's major district and a symbol of the urban transformation the city has undergone to grow in this area.
If Gaudí, the Rocas, and, more recently, Lamine Yamal attract tourists from all over the world each year, the technology companies established in Barcelona and, especially, in 22@ are a decisive factor in attracting new companies, talent, and essential investments for the development of a dynamic and innovative sector. This is reflected in the data: today, 46% of the international technology hubs established in Barcelona are located in 22@, which makes it the city's true innovative lung.
Behind this figure lies the commitment of dozens of international companies that decide to locate their innovation center in this district to develop technological products that they export worldwide, thus generating investments, research, and new qualified jobs. These innovative centers of multinationals add to and converge with the local ecosystem, forming a real technological district, where projects with the capacity to improve people's lives are cooked up in areas such as health, mobility, or digital leisure.
That projects with transformative capacity emerge from 22@ is explained by the confluence of key agents that feed each other. Within a few blocks, this space brings together prestigious universities, emerging startups, research centers, and large corporations, creating unique synergies that respond to a determined commitment to talent, innovation, and sustainable development.
Barcelona has demonstrated leadership capacity, to generate opportunities and to build a smarter, more human, and sustainable city, and in this roadmap, 22@ has been, is, and will be an essential piece. Barcelona is no longer just a city with a technological vocation. It is, by its own merits, the European capital of technology.