There are many rankings that continue to place Barcelona among the most relevant cities on the international scene. After a complicated year for big cities, the Catalan capital continues to rank among the most competitive in the world, according to the Global Power City Index. It closes 2020 as the 21st most competitive city, improving one position compared to the previous year.
The good results in multiple classifications consolidate it, especially, as a technological and digital entrepreneurship hub. This is reflected in the 18th annual report of the Barcelona Observatory, a publication prepared jointly by the Barcelona City Council and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, which includes various indicators from both 2019 and 2020.
"Barcelona currently maintains a good position in the economic sphere on an international scale, and this is a key factor for facing the recovery of the city's post-pandemic economy," says the Deputy Mayor for Economy, Labor, Competitiveness, and Finance, Jaume Collboni. "Despite the context, Barcelona has proven to be a resilient city capable of maintaining its attractiveness and a good economic and business position. We remain in the top positions as a technological hub and maintain this perception of Barcelona as an attractive city for visitors and entrepreneurs, and this is an element we want to leverage to encourage economic growth and international investment, as well as to attract visitors again and to boost tourist activity through culture and a visitor economy model based primarily on quality," Collboni remarks.
Beyond being one of the most competitive cities in the world, Barcelona is also consolidating itself as one of the main startup hubs in Europe. The Startup Heatmap Europe report, published by the company DEEP Ecosystems, has once again placed the Catalan capital as one of the three best hubs for hosting emerging companies. It occupies this position for the fourth consecutive year, tied with Amsterdam and behind Berlin and London. It also occupies the fifth position as a startup hub in the ranking prepared since 2011 by EU-Startups, a digital medium focused on the European entrepreneurial ecosystem.
In the field of entrepreneurship, it stands out as one of the main European tech cities, according to the annual ranking of FDi Tech Cities of the Future. It is ranked as the fifth city with the best prospects for receiving investments in innovation, technology, and startups, only behind London, Berlin, Paris, and Amsterdam.
Stands out as a cultural and creative capital with appeal for visitors
International rankings also focus on Barcelona's cultural and creative strength. The Catalan capital occupies the 9th position in Europe in creative intensity according to the results of The Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor. In this aspect, it particularly stands out in the areas of human capital, training, and employment in creative and knowledge-intensive activities, where it ranks 2nd and 5th, respectively, among cities with more than one million inhabitants.
Visitors and entrepreneurs are also attracted to the city, remaining in 8th place among the world's cities according to Resonance Consulting. Awaiting last year's results, it closes 2019 as the 1st city in the world for international congresses, considering the number of delegates, and 4th in the organization of international fairs, after remaining for 20 consecutive years in the top 5 of the International Congress and Convention Association ranking.