Catalonia attracts 31% of all foreign investment in Spain between 2011 and 2016

• • Catalonia has received a total of €14,532 billion since 2011
• • The biggest investors have been the United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom

Catalonia Trade & Investment – the foreign investment Department of ACCIÓ- recently presented a report based on data compiled by fDI Markets, from the Financial Times group, that puts the foreign investment attracted by Catalonia between January 2011 and June 2016 at €14,532 billion. This volume came in the form of 601 investment projects carried out by multinational corporations, which have created 38,385 new jobs directly.
According to the report Balanç de la inversió estrangera a Catalunya 2011-2016, Catalonia has attracted 31% of all foreign investment in Spain over this period. Likewise, the region was the site of 37% of all foreign investment projects and 34% of all new jobs created through these projects.

By sectors, foreign investment is noteworthy in the ICT and logistics arenas. Furthermore, the countries that have invested the most in Catalonia over this period are the United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. In this regard, Germany has brought in the most capital invested by volume, the United States has carried out the most investment projects and France has created the most new jobs.

The report also analyzes the investment opportunities available in Catalonia. Looking to the future, the study expects to see new foreign investment in Catalonia driven by industry (industry 4.0, painting and cladding, smart packaging and sports clothes), ICT (big data, e-commerce, smart mobility and video games) and services (food services, shared values and services for the elderly).

Catalan logistics sector is the second most important in concentration of foreign investment
Likewise, the report highlights that Catalonia surpasses Western Europe in attracting industrial projects and logistic centers. In this regard, the Catalan logistics sector has attracted approximately €3 billion between 2011 and 2016, making it the second most active sector in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), surpassed only by the technology sector. The report points out that this is due to the country’s strategic location and its top-notch infrastructure.