Barcelona Activa served a total of 55,728 people in 2023. The economic promotion agency of the City Council also supported 7,178 companies, 2.8% more than the previous year, and 1,401 entrepreneurial projects, 8.7% more than in 2022. Looking ahead to 2024, the agency aims to promote new hubs of innovation and more occupational and business programs.
Among the new projects of Barcelona Activa, which has approved its accounts with 59 million euros executed, are the creation of new poles of economic activity. The first to be inaugurated will be Nau Palo Alto, for creative industries, and Nau Besòs, for circular economy, at the end of this year. In 2025, Nau d'Àvila, for urban innovation and smart city, is expected to debut.
Regarding the 2023 balance, 58% of the people served were women; 47% had university studies, and 58% were 45 years old or older, while about a third of the services were provided to people under 30.
As for companies, 18% were from the trade sector; 13%, from services; 12%, from the hotel sector; 10%, from industry and 8%, from the ICT sector. On the other hand, 44% of the companies served were limited liability companies and 37% were self-employed individuals.
As for entrepreneurial projects, 62% were driven by women. In addition, the agency helped process the constitution of 536 companies in the city, which remains a European benchmark in the entrepreneurial field and as one of the preferred places to open a startup.
Labor insertion
The agency has directly facilitated the insertion into the labor market of more than 1,000 people, through talent management services. Through IT Academy, it has contributed to generating more digital talent in the city. Of the 1,002 people trained in 2023, 84% have entered the labor market, with 40% being women.
Regarding assistance to young people, Barcelona Activa has served 9,265 people under 30 years old through occupational services, and more than 14,000 counting entrepreneurship and business services, of which nearly 30% were unemployed.
35 million for funding
On the other hand, Barcelona Activa's financing service has helped raise 35.16 million euros in a total of 110 operations during the past year. 75% comes from private investment operations and the rest from public financing and the banking sector.
This amount is added to ten million committed in six venture capital funds, within the framework of the Accelera funds. As a novelty, during 2023, 8.5 million have been committed in eight funds in the Barcelona Deep Tech investment program. In this area, Barcelona Activa has promoted scientific and technological startups, also with a second edition of the Barcelona Deep Tech Summit, with nearly 1,300 attendees.