The year of the pandemic did not stop the arrival of new projects in the city. The Barcelona City Council attracted investments worth 22 million euros, generating some 400 jobs. This task was possible thanks to investment support through the council's own services and Barcelona Activa.
The municipal teams managed close to 77 projects, and 16 resulted in investments: 11 new ones and five reinvestments in projects already underway in the city. Some come from the United Kingdom, influenced by the Brexit effect, and most are from the technology and communications sector, offering ware services, cloud services, or audio solutions with artificial intelligence (AI).
"We maintain investment in the city and interest in Barcelona as a company headquarters and a place for talent to settle," values the first deputy mayor for Economy, Work, Competitiveness, and Finance, Jaume Collboni. "The data shows that when we say Barcelona has everything for us to do well in the recovery from the crisis, it's because we are very well positioned in sectors like technology; investors see the city as a place of opportunities," he remarks.
Some of the projects that bet on Barcelona were the American cloud computing company NetApp, which has opened a virtual sales center for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and has generated 25 jobs; the German online sales company MyTheresa, which has opened new 700-square-meter offices with a growth potential of up to 70 people, or the British audio-as-service startup Aflorithmic, which will have a subsidiary in the Catalan capital, with the forecast of hiring 15 workers during the first year. Another investment attracted in 2020 by the City Council was from Huawei, which will have a store in Plaza Catalunya and will create 30 jobs.
Looking ahead to 2021
Municipal services are working with a portfolio of 49 projects for this 2021. A large majority are from outside the European Union, with the United Kingdom being the most important source market, accounting for 32% of the total projects. Following are China, France, Argentina, the Netherlands, and the United States.
Regarding the distribution by sectors, there is a strong presence of investment projects related to information and communication technologies, with 30%. There are also those linked to business services and creative and cultural production.