Barcelona is the eighth most preferred city globally for working abroad, and international talent has contributed to positioning the city internationally in key areas such as technology, finance, and health, generating a significant socioeconomic impact in the city and its metropolitan area.
This was confirmed by the Deputy Consul of Mexico in Barcelona, Adrián Michel Espino; the director of the Barcelona Finance Hub, Quino Fernández; the CEO and founder of Orience, Oriol Molas, and the People Operations Manager of the fintech Kantox, Ricardo Arenas, in a debate panel that addressed the impact, challenges, legal issues, and cultural reception of highly qualified foreign professionals established in Barcelona.
To attract this international talent, Barcelona offers three key factors, according to Molas: opportunities, language, and lifestyle. "The United States and the United Kingdom lead in talent attraction, but Spain has managed to generate opportunities in innovation and technology, especially in Barcelona." In this context, "it is essential that companies are well advised and adapt to current regulations, as global competition in this area will increase," according to the CEO of Orience, which provides international mobility services for investors, professionals, and companies, with a new corporate migration division for employee relocation.
These relocation processes for employees and professionals entail legal and logistical complexities that require clear regulatory frameworks, as highlighted by the speakers at the debate, held at the Barcelona Finance Hub. The director of the new hub precisely emphasized the importance of simplifying these processes to attract and retain international talent: "Barcelona is regaining ground as a benchmark in innovation, but we must address the salary challenge to prevent international employees from leaving. Although initiatives like 22@ were a great step, there is still work to be done regarding salary policies and mobility," according to Fernández.
Institutions like consulates accompany these relocation processes, as Espino explained at the debate table. The deputy consul of Mexico highlighted the growth of the highly qualified Mexican community in the city: "In recent years, the Mexican community in Barcelona has multiplied, and agreements like one we have with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center have attracted super specialized talent."
From Kantox, Arenas emphasized the importance of creating multicultural teams in companies, which in turn contribute to attracting more talent of this profile, in a self-reinforcing process. The head of team management at the fintech highlighted the competition Barcelona faces in terms of salaries and professional projection, and advocated for enhancing Barcelona's image as a city of opportunities for international talent. Thus, he confirmed along with the other speakers that there is a path to travel in several areas, with an eye on the goal of continuing to position Barcelona as an international benchmark.