The Chinese automaker Chery is betting on Catalonia with a new R&D center in Cornellà

Chery redoubles its bet on Catalonia. The Chinese automaker, one of the largest in the world, was responsible, thanks to the agreement with Ebro, for the reactivation of the mythical Nissan plant in the Zona Franca. Now, the company wants to go a step further and continue consolidating Catalonia as one of its main production and innovation hubs worldwide. To reinforce this centrality, the multinational will install a research and development (R&D) center in Cornellà de Llobregat.

Although the state-owned Chinese company has not detailed the required investment or job creation expectations, Chery has already committed to a 2,000 square meter plant in this town. The forecast is that it will start operating in autumn to specialize in the design and adaptation of car bodies and finishes according to the tastes and habits of European drivers. An announcement that the local council has celebrated, stating that this new center "represents a strategic boost for the economic and industrial development" of the city.

It will be the sixth R&D center that the multinational has distributed around the world to respond to an increasingly growing demand. The automaker, which became the first Chinese manufacturer to produce cars in Spain and throughout Europe, exceeded 2.6 million units sold worldwide in 2024, with models such as Omoda or Jaecco. With these figures, it has consolidated itself as the second European producer and the eighth global exporter. Today, the company already operates in more than 80 markets around the world.

In Catalonia, Chery was in charge of reactivating the old Nissan factory in the Zona Franca almost three years after the closure of its facilities. It did so through an agreement with the Catalan company Ebro to manufacture 150,000 vehicles by 2029, with an investment of 400 million euros, the expectation of hiring 1,250 employees in the renamed 'Ebro Factory'. Upon landing in the Zona Franca, the multinational already announced that among its ambitious plans was the desire to open a research and development (R&D) center near Barcelona. Now this inspiration has become a reality.

But the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, does not want Chery's path in Catalonia to stop here, but has taken advantage of his institutional trip to China, specifically during his visit to Wuhu ---headquarters of the automaker--- to offer Catalonia as the territory in which to install its European operations center.

Illa has celebrated the "bidirectional relationship" that has been generated between Barcelona and Chery. To reinforce this good harmony, the Minister of Business, Miquel Sàmper, and the Vice President of Chery, Zhang Shenghsan, have signed a collaboration agreement between the company and the Generalitat. While the automaker has committed to continue investing in Catalonia, the Generalitat will promote investments from companies that are part of Chery's supply chain, in addition to facilitating connections between the company and talent hubs and universities and studying the possibility of offering subsidies.

In addition to reinforcing its alliance with Chery, Salvador Illa's institutional trip to China also aims to continue promoting alliances and commercial agreements between these two territories, facilitating the entry of capital and projects from the Asian country into Catalonia. In fact, foreign investment from China has already reached 1,279 million euros, creating 2,300 new jobs and 200 subsidiaries of Asian companies. The commercial relationship between both countries is so close that last year Acció launched the China Desk to reinforce the attraction of Chinese investments to Catalonia.

In addition to establishing relationships with different companies and political representatives, Illa has also used the trip to promote Catalonia through areas such as culture, gastronomy, sports or science. Furthermore, and in relation to the tariff war led by the United States of Donald Trump, Illa has remarked that the most sensible thing for companies is to "diversify markets", a bet in which China presents itself as a strategic ally for Catalonia and its companies. To accompany Catalan companies in this search for new international markets, the Generalitat has announced a new package of 50 million euros in aid, with a maximum of 90,000 euros for each company.