Barcelona’s ambition is clear: to become an economic capital powered by talent and knowledge. To achieve this, the city is pursuing a diversified economy, creating opportunities and high-quality employment, and focusing on strategic sectors.

The roadmap to achieving this is set out in Barcelona Impulsa, the city’s economic agenda for the period up to 2035. Between 2024 and 2027, the plan will invest €890 million to create 180,000 jobs and transform 1.8 million m² of land across the metropolitan area.

Science is undoubtedly one of the key sectors that will help shape the city of the future and establish its global presence. Barcelona is the scientific and technological capital of Spain and southern Europe and one of the leading cities in the EU.

Home to six science and technology parks, world-class research facilities such as MareNostrum, three universities ranked among the best globally, and eight hospitals and research institutes, Barcelona continues to reinforce its role as a knowledge capital.

This infrastructure is part of an ecosystem of nearly 60,000 professionals, more than 1,500 research-focused companies and 93 institutions, all working towards a shared scientific mission across Catalonia.

Barcelona, sixth city in Europe for scientific output

Rising research figures confirm Barcelona’s growing strength in the field of biomedicine. Life sciences and healthcare now account for 7.6% of Catalonia’s total GDP, making it the region’s third-largest sector behind only commerce and real estate.

According to the latest BioRegion report, the Catalan sector generated €44.8 billion in revenue in 2023, a 6% increase on the previous year. It employs over 75,000 people, representing 7.3% of all jobs in Catalonia. Over the past five years, foreign investment from companies and funds has grown by 25%, leading to the creation of new offices and research centres and generating 1,700 new jobs.

Catalonia also accounts for 50% of Spain’s pharmaceutical industry and is the country’s leading exporter of health-related goods. The entire ecosystem is concentrated in Barcelona and its metropolitan area, home to 94% of Catalonia’s health sector companies.

Strategic projects driving scientific development

Boosting research and innovation as drivers of competitiveness and economic sustainability and promoting knowledge transfer between public and private sector stakeholders is key to finding innovative solutions to global and local challenges.

The Eix Salut Diagonal project is a testament to our commitment to scientific development. This significant advancement aims to transform the area between Avinguda Diagonal and Ronda de Dalt into a major hub for health and innovation. The project will stimulate new initiatives, establish research and knowledge transfer institutes, and increase research capacity, taking the sector to new heights.

Key initiatives include:

• Nou Clínic: a collaboration between institutions to convert 290,000 m² of land on the Llobregat side of Avinguda Diagonal into a health and science hub combining facilities with community spaces.
• Barcelona Fraunhofer CAT (Centre for Applied Theragnostics): Barcelona will host the first Spanish facility of the Fraunhofer Foundation, the largest and most prestigious applied health research organisation in Europe.
• CaixaResearch Institute: this new health research centre aims to become an international leader in the field of immunology. The project includes the construction of a new building in which over 40 research groups and 500 professionals will work.
• MareNostrum 5 (BSC): the new European supercomputer at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, one of the world’s most powerful and versatile machines serving the global scientific community.

Additionally, the Ciutadella Knowledge Hub will transform the area around Barcelona’s Parc de la Ciutadella into a centre of excellence for knowledge, research, innovation and dissemination, set to host around 2,000 researchers.

This will include the redevelopment of the former Mercat del Peix into a complex for biomedical and biodiversity research, the establishment of a new bioscience hub led by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), and the creation of the new Central Library of Barcelona, among others.

An investment in the city’s future

Barcelona has outlined its support for the sector in its Strategic Plan for Science and Innovation (2024-2027), which sets out the city’s scientific policy for the current term. The City Council plans to invest a total of €130 million in eight action areas and 15 projects, including the Ciutadella Knowledge Hub, the Hospital Clínic Health Campus, and the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute.

The plan also includes measures to promote research, talent and scientific employment, such as the CreaFeina Investiga programme, which provides grants to support the strategic hiring of science and research staff.

Barcelona City Council is also committed to making science more accessible to the public through initiatives such as the Festa de la Ciència (Science Festival), which has welcomed over 200,000 visitors in its 16 years. This year’s event will take place on 31 May and 1 June at the Barcelona History Museum in El Born, bringing together residents and the city’s scientific community for games, experiments, workshops, performances, guided tours, exhibitions and much more.