Barcelona’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has received a total of $6.3 billion from foreign investors in the last 10 years. This means that Barcelona sits eighth in the league table of European cities that have attracted the most technological investment from abroad between 2015 and 2024, in a ranking topped by London ($103.1 billion), Berlin ($41.7 billion) and Paris ($32.3 billion).

These are some of the key findings highlighted in the The Barcelona Metropolis. Invest, Work and Live (2024) report produced by the Economic Development Agency of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB), drawn up by the Research Department of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce.

According to the report, the interest of international investors in Barcelona is driven by factors such as emerging talent, the consolidation of an entrepreneurial hub in the metropolitan area, competitive pricing compared to other European cities, public-private collaboration and excellent international connectivity.

Innovation and entrepreneurship hub

In 2023, the number of start-ups in Catalonia grew to 2,102, which was 80 more than the total for 2022. Of these, 86.7% are based in the Barcelona metropolitan area, and 68% are in the Barcelonès county.

In the healthcare sector, Barcelona ranked 12th in the EMEA region in terms of global healthcare investment between 2021 and 2023, and 9th in the health technology (medtech) sub-sector. During this period, the city secured $550 million in investment for start-ups and scale-ups. This ranking was led by London ($6.3 billion), Paris ($3.5 billion) and Cambridge ($2.2 billion).

Catalonia ranks third, behind only Switzerland and the Netherlands, in terms of the number of publications on advanced therapies per million inhabitants in the main European nations over the past 10 years.

A hub for attracting international talent

The Barcelona metropolitan area boasts established zones such as the 22@ district, high-impact hospitals, university campuses and business parks, and is also home to four areas with high development potential: the Llobregat Delta, the Llobregat Corridor, the B-30 Corridor and the area around the Besòs river.

According to the Decoding Global Talent 2024 report by the Boston Consulting Group, Barcelona ranks as the world’s 8th most attractive city for working abroad. The city and its metropolitan area are hugely attractive to international talent, both for their high quality of life and status as a major technological hub.

The report highlights the importance of encouraging young people to study STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and better aligning supply and demand for education that meets the needs of the job market.