Catalonia attracts foreign investments worth 880 million euros in 2023

The Minister of Business and Labor of Catalonia, Roger Torrent, announced in a press conference that the Catalan Government, through ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment, attracted 880 million euros in foreign investment in 2023 and 2,955 million euros in the last five years. This achievement marks a 42% increase over the previous year and is the highest figure recorded since 1985.

The Annual Report of Catalonia Trade & Investment reveals that during 2023, 112 projects by foreign companies were formalized, with the creation of 4,533 jobs, 31% more than in 2022. Of the 112 projects, 42% were greenfield investments.

Regarding greenfield investments, Albert Castellanos pointed out that “We are immersed in the transformation of the production model and diversification of investments,” emphasizing the attraction of companies that contribute to the green and digital transformation of companies.

On the other hand, the Minister highlighted that “These record figures demonstrate the competitiveness of Catalonia in the business world and the confidence of international investors in our country” and stressed that “These figures help us position ourselves internationally and accompany the economic and business transformations from the country”.

If we talk about the distribution based on its nature, in 2023, 67% of foreign investment was of an industrial nature, 26% in technology sectors, 14% in life sciences, 12% in automotive, 11% in video games and 10% in food. This diversification is also reflected in the origin of the investments, coming from more than 30 countries, led by the US (21%), France (13%) and the United Kingdom (9%).

Currently, Catalonia has almost 600 projects in development, and close to 50% of the companies that invested in Catalonia in 2023 plan to reinvest in the future, demonstrating the solid prospect of economic growth in the region.