In recent years, Catalonia has consolidated itself as a pole of attraction for companies from all over the world. A study by the Government concludes that there are already 9,255 foreign companies established in Catalonia (2023 data), 62% more than 10 years ago. These data are reflected in the study Directory of subsidiaries of foreign companies in Catalonia prepared by ACCIÓ, the agency for business competitiveness of the Department of Business and Labor of the Generalitat de Catalunya.
The President of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès i Garcia, made these data public on November 15 within the framework of the event Passeu 2023. Catalonia, your home for business and technology organized by the Government. The event, which took place at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, was attended by 250 executives from companies established in the country ---such as CISCO, Boehringer Ingelheim and Alstom---, who explained why they decided to invest in Catalonia. The event also featured the participation of the Minister of Business and Labor, Roger Torrent i Ramió; and the Secretary of Business and Competitiveness and CEO of ACCIÓ, Albert Castellanos i Maduell. The meeting served to highlight Catalonia's assets as one of the most dynamic territories in Europe in terms of attracting foreign investment, the strategic importance of multinational investments in our country, and to do networking.
In the words of the President of the Generalitat, we are facing "a new record" because "we have more subsidiaries than ever because Catalonia generates more opportunities than ever." "We have a dynamic ecosystem, but at the same time, consolidated and in continuous growth," he added. Aragonès explained that "currently, 2 out of 10 jobs are generated by foreign companies," jobs "in strategic sectors for the future."
For his part, Minister Torrent reiterated the executive's commitment to "reindustrialize Catalonia" and highlighted ACCIÓ as a "key player for" attracting new investments, "eminently industrial and technological transformative projects."
The Government is working with a portfolio of 600 projects from foreign companies that could invest in CataloniaIn this regard, Torrent announced that the Govern, through ACCIÓ, is currently working with a portfolio of 600 projects from foreign companies that can potentially invest in Catalonia, 50% more compared to pre-pandemic levels. It highlights the fact that more than half are industrial projects (55% of the total), 11% are R&D and digital hub projects, and 10% are based on the circular economy and decarbonization.
X-ray of foreign companies located in Catalonia
The report presented during the event shows the growing interest of foreign multinationals in locating in Catalonia. In fact, it concludes that one in four companies has established itself in the country in the last 5 years and that the directory of foreign multinationals in Catalonia has grown by 100 companies in the last year. Among the examples of investments by foreign capital companies that have established themselves in Catalonia in 2023, whether in their first implementation or with reinvestments or expansions of their activity in the territory, cases such as Rovio, AstraZeneca, Lufthansa, Galderma or Arxada, among others, stand out."In a context of global decrease in investment flows, foreign investment is growing in Catalonia, a fundamental lever for the transformation of the country from an industrial, digital and sustainable point of view," highlighted the Secretary of Business and Competitiveness and CEO of ACCIÓ, Albert Castellanos i Maduell.
Regarding the countries of origin, the study underlines the presence of multinationals from the United States (15% of the total), France (14%), Germany (12%), the United Kingdom (10%) and Italy (8%). The growth of subsidiaries from the United States (with a year-on-year increase of 15%), Japan (12%), Singapore (8%) or China (0.5%) stands out. In total, there are companies from 90 nationalities. Regarding the sectors, the ACCIÓ study concludes that foreign subsidiaries located in Catalonia, according to their turnover, are from the fields of automotive (16%), food (14%), chemical (12%), pharmaceutical industry (7.5%) and ICT (4%).
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