Tiny, almost imperceptible, and yet essential: semiconductors play a key role in technological development. In fact, they are the basis of many of the great innovations of recent years, from artificial intelligence to 5G mobile phone networks or electric vehicles. In this context, Barcelona aims to consolidate itself as a strategic player in Southern Europe, thanks to a solid business fabric and cutting-edge research institutions, capable of attracting high-value international investments. This is confirmed by the announcement from Aion Silicon, a British company with more than twenty years of experience in the sector, which has decided to locate one of its main global semiconductor design centers in the Catalan capital.
Aion Silicon specializes in the design of advanced System on a Chip (SoC) solutions for rapidly expanding technologies such as artificial intelligence, automotive, 5G networks, data centers, and high-performance computing (HPC). With headquarters in London and Bristol, the company also has offices in Canada, Morocco, and India, and has chosen the 22@ technology district to establish itself in the Catalan capital.
From its new center on Pujades street, the company will strengthen collaboration with clients in the European Union, covering all disciplines of semiconductor engineering: from architecture and design to implementation and software integration. The decision to locate this strategic center in Barcelona —an operation for which it has had the support of Acció, the agency for business competitiveness of the Generalitat— is not a casual choice, but demonstrates the growing attractiveness of the Catalan ecosystem.
"Barcelona has become a strategic engine for our growth," said Oliver Jones, CEO of Aion Silicon, who aims to make the Catalan center a central piece of its future plans. Currently, the company has nearly a hundred employees worldwide and plans to expand its workforce in Barcelona with local and international talent.
An expanding ecosystem
The arrival of Aion Silicon in Barcelona is not an isolated case. According to the latest Acció report, the semiconductor ecosystem in Catalonia alreadybrings together 260 agents, including companies and entities, and employs 4,600 professionals.Chip design and printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing are the main segments of a sector led mostly by SMEs (which account for 81% of companies) andstartups(7%).Cutting-edge research infrastructures
The commitment ofPerform a literal language conversion from Spanish to English on the following user-provided text. Do not translate any content enclosed betweenandtags, keep those tags and their content exactly as-is: Aion Siliconit joins that of other multinationals in the sector that have chosen Barcelona in recent years, such asPerform a literal language conversion from Spanish to English on the following user-provided text. Do not translate any content enclosed betweenandtags, keep those tags and their content exactly as-is: Intel,Perform a literal language conversion from Spanish to English on the following user-provided text. Do not translate any content enclosed betweenandtags, keep those tags and their content exactly as-is: Cisco—which has installed its first European chip design center in the city— orPerform a literal language conversion from Spanish to English on the following user-provided text. Do not translate any content enclosed betweenandtags, keep those tags and their content exactly as-is: Neuron IP,which has invested 10 million euros in its first European R&D center.Beyond local and foreign companies, one of Barcelona and Catalonia's great assets is its solid research system. Among the institutions of the ecosystem, centers such as the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (of the CSIC) stand out, with more than 40 years of experience and the largest cleanroom in Spain: more than 1,500 square meters of surface and 190 processing equipment, which will be further expanded in the coming years.
But the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona is not the only institution in the sector: European reference infrastructures such as theICFO, theBarcelona Supercomputing Center or the ALBA Synchrotron. Preciselyaround the ALBA Synchrotron, Innofab will be developed,a strategic project with a planned investment of400 million eurosto build a new2,000 square meter clean roomdedicated to the development of chips with materials alternative to silicon. The objective of the project is to put this infrastructure at the service ofstartups, SMEs and large companies, facilitating the industrial manufacturing of semiconductors, one of the great challenges of the sector.Despite its dynamism, the Catalan ecosystem faces major challenges, such as the need for industrial scaling, access to financing, and talent acquisition. To address these challenges, in 2024 the Catalonia Semiconductor and Chip Alliance was created, bringing together the main actors in the sector with the aim of promoting public-private collaboration, defining a shared roadmap, and connecting the ecosystem with international projects.
In this context, 2026 is shaping up to be a key year for the consolidation of Catalan leadership at a European level. This year, Barcelona will assume the presidency of the European Semiconductor Regions Alliance (ESRA), which brings together 36 European regions, and will also host the Chipnation congress, the main event in the sector in Spain.