More than a thousand Catalan companies are focused on activities related to the sea. To be exact, 1,078 companies make up the blue economy ecosystem in Catalonia, which together have a turnover of 5,556 million euros and employ 23,870 workers.
This ecosystem is mainly made up of small and medium-sized companies, which represent 98% of the 1,078, according to a study by the Department of Economy and Labor, prepared by Acció and presented in the context of the America's Cup. In fact, it was presented at the America's Cup Hospitality at the Club Natació Barcelona, which can now be reached with the new nautical bus, also launched with the competition as an accelerator.
The activity in which most companies work is the transport of people and goods, with 47.1%. Also noteworthy are diverse activities such as fishing and aquaculture, with 29.6%, and the propulsion and construction of maritime transport, with 15.2%. According to the study, four out of ten companies in the sector are less than ten years old, and about 3% of the total are startups, making it a dynamic and developing sector.
Among the various marine technologies analyzed in the study, blue biotechnology and that linked to algae stand out, which explores the opportunities that marine resources offer to produce biological products applicable in fields as varied as health, food, cosmetics, and energy.
Technologies linked to maritime transport also stand out, especially those aimed at decarbonizing propulsion. In this area, alternatives are being developed to incorporate green fuels, such as hydrogen, liquefied natural gas, biofuels, and electricity, with initiatives such as that of the Empordà shipyard Zephyr Boats, which has created the first 100% electric recreational vessel in Catalonia with the support of the Fundació Barcelona Capital Nàutica.
Electrification goes beyond the recreational sphere: this same week the Port of Barcelona has powered a container ship with electricity for the first time, which has allowed it to turn off its engines for the three days it was moored at the Best terminal.
From the analysis of the ecosystem that has been generated around the sea, the study concludes that Catalonia is well positioned in relation to port activities, bioeconomy and maritime transport, in a context in which 80% of world trade is carried out by sea.
The Catalan blue economy also has emerging sectors with notable potential, among which are renewable energies, biotechnology, desalination, research and even robotics, with companies like Seabots.
The promotion of the blue economy is a clear commitment of Barcelona, in an objective reinforced in part by the America's Cup. To strengthen this ecosystem, various initiatives have emerged in the city, such as the promotion of startups linked to this field and support for companies in this sector. So much so that spaces specifically dedicated to this area have proliferated in the city, such as the sheds of the Sant Bertran dock and as part of the reformed Port Olímpic, which aspire to convert Barcelona into a benchmark for the blue economy internationally.