Barcelona ranks third worldwide in attracting foreign investment in AI
The Catalan capital has become one of the major world hubs for artificial intelligence and the leading EU city for attracting foreign investment in this sector, according to a recent study by the international consulting company IBM.
Barcelona was recognised as the third city in the world in attracting foreign investment in artificial intelligence in 2024, with only London and Singapore ahead of it. The figure was revealed in the Global Location Trends 2025 study compiled by IBM in collaboration with Moody’s. Published annually since 2006, the report analyses corporate investment location decisions around the world.
This makes it the leading European Union city in this category. The study also analyses job creation linked to the attraction of foreign investment, and again, Barcelona ranked third in the category, behind London and Dubai.
The report also identifies Catalonia as the leading region in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for job creation linked to these investments. In fact, Catalonia accounts for 20% of all jobs created in Spain, ahead of Madrid (14%).
Barcelona, home to 160 tech hubs
Barcelona is currently home to 160 tech hubs, according to the Tech Hubs Overview report published annually by the Mobile World Capital Barcelona foundation, in collaboration with Barcelona City Council and ACCIÓ. These hubs generated a total economic impact of 2.879 billion euros and more than 34,800 jobs in 2024, a 22% increase compared to 2023.
Some 70% of tech centres in Barcelona focus on deep tech, and among these, 80% are developing AI projects, consolidating it as a key tool for the present and the future.
Notable foreign investment projects attracted in 2024 included Sony AI, the Japanese multi-national’s artificial intelligence development centre in Barcelona, aimed at scientific research and culinary projects. The DataxStream software company, specialising in the optimisation of complex orders, also opened its first European base in Barcelona, creating 30 new jobs.
But multi-national companies are not the only ones investing in AI. Last year saw 24% of Catalan companies (with more than nine employees) invest in AI-linked technologies, doubling the figure from 2023. Nearly 500 companies in Catalonia are devoted to developing this technology, accounting for 14,500 jobs.