Catalonia ranked second among global regions for attracting tech investment in digital health sector

Digital health is currently one of the most significant sectors of the Catalan economy. There are 386 companies, 17% more than a year ago, with a combined turnover of more than €630 million, up nearly 7%, and employing over 5,300 professionals, 10% more. These findings are detailed in the latest annual report published by ACCIÓ, the Agency for Business Competitiveness, which was presented during the most recent edition of the Health Revolution Congress.

The digital health ecosystem is the field of knowledge and practice related to the development and use of digital technologies to improve the healthcare sector. It is rapidly becoming a powerful economic driver, generating high-value jobs and helping retain talent. Digital health also supports progress towards a more sustainable and inclusive healthcare model, where technology ensures people get better care, as emphasised during the report’s presentation.

The ACCIÓ report highlights that Catalonia ranked fifth globally in the number of projects, behind Massachusetts, Ireland, Telangana (India) and California, but rose to second place in terms of total investment received, surpassed only by Boston, the world’s leading hub for this industry. Catalonia attracted over €1.5 billion in investment, with major projects led by AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche, Polpharma and Siegfried, among others.

Finally, the report notes that most digital health companies in Catalonia are SMEs and that nearly two-thirds of them have been set up within the past ten years. Plus, a significant share is developing clinical tools (17.9%), digital therapies (13%) and diagnostics (9.8%), while 41.5% of companies are working on artificial intelligence solutions applied to healthcare.