Barcelona area consolidates position as benchmark technology and innovation hub in Europe

Barcelona and its metropolitan area have consolidated their place as one of the most important technology and innovation hubs in Europe. The dynamic ecosystem, made up of start-ups, accelerators, investors and large fairs and international events, has drawn over €6.1 billion in investment over the past ten years, six times more than the previous decade.

Although this figure is still quite a bit lower than the investment secured in other European cities such as London, Berlin and Paris over the same period, Barcelona is ranked eighth among European hubs in tech investment, according to the State of European Tech 2024 report.  The city’s talent, quality of life and strategic location have made it one of the benchmark capitals in innovation and technology.

One key factor driving investment is Barcelona’s ability to attract global tech events and meetings, such as Tech Spirit Barcelona (gathering of technology entrepreneurs and investors), 4YFN (space for technology start-ups) at the Mobile World Congress, BNEW (events for the new economy) and ISE (world’s biggest audiovisual fair), among others.

In this regard, in 2024 alone the city welcomed more than 420,000 visitors attending international events, fairs and congresses. All the events mentioned above not only help connect local talent with international companies, investors and partners, they also act as a platform to raise awareness of Barcelona’s potential in tech.

It is important to note that one of the key indicators to understand this phenomenon is the significant number of existing start-ups. In 2023, there were more than 2,100 according to the Barcelona & Catalonia Startup Hub and 86.7% of them were based in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB). In 2024, Catalan start-ups secured €1.44 billion in investment, twice as much as the previous year.