Sony strengthens its presence in Barcelona. The Japanese multinational, through Sony AI, has chosen the Catalan capital to open an artificial intelligence (AI) development center, its second in Europe. The new offices will be dedicated to the development of AI systems, with a focus on accelerating scientific research and gastronomy projects. In the city, the company already had its headquarters for Spain, on Diagonal Avenue.
To establish itself in the Catalan capital, the company has valued factors such as the presence of universities with programs focused on AI and leading scientific and technological organizations. "We are proud to expand our work to support creators in this open and innovative environment, as well as to learn and collaborate with the community," said Sony AI President, Michael Spranger.
One of the main projects that the new Sony AI hub will focus on will be led by senior scientific researcher Tarek Besold, with the aim of finding AI tools and systems that support the work of scientists worldwide. "This work seeks to enhance the knowledge and creativity of scientists during the ideation phase of the scientific process, allowing them to create new hypotheses," explain company sources. In addition, the offices will serve as a center for other Sony research related to AI, such as that which applies this technology to increase the understanding of flavors and smells, with a view to contributing to multisensory entertainment experiences.
The Sony AI subsidiary was created in 2020 to advance AI research and development, with the aim of creating new products for the technology company. In addition to the specialized offices in Barcelona, the subsidiary has a presence in Tokyo, Zurich, and the United States. Initially, the Barcelona offices are located in a coworking space on Estruc Street, near Plaza Catalunya, where "a small and growing team" is already working, according to the company, without specifying the exact number of employees or short-term hiring forecasts.
The landing of Sony AI in the city has had the support of Acció. For the acting Minister of Business and Labor, Roger Torrent, investments like this demonstrate that Catalonia is "one of the most developed ecosystems from a technological and scientific point of view in Europe." "We are eager to start building bridges of collaboration between Sony AI and the local ecosystem of universities, research centers, startups, and companies to contribute to the development of artificial intelligence from Barcelona, the technology that will define business competitiveness in the coming years," Torrent emphasized.
Almost 500 companies dedicated to AI
AI not only grabs headlines but is also spreading among the business ecosystem. According to a recent study by Acció, Catalonia has a total of 488 companies dedicated to AI, a figure that almost triples the number in 2019. The business volume of this sector stands at 2.155 billion euros, 60% more than in 2019, the highest turnover among new exponential technologies. The workforce of the almost 500 companies dedicated to this technology exceeds 14,500 employees, 71% more than four years ago.
Before Sony, multinationals such as NTT Data, Microsoft, Apple, through the acquisition of the local startup Vilnyx, GFT, and Sanofi have invested in Barcelona to develop projects linked to AI. For years, more and more technology hubs or development centers have been established in the Catalan capital. In 2023, the number had reached 140, according to a report by Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital).