The Government of Catalonia is planning to set up a financial hub in the Barcelona Stock Exchange building, located at Passeig de Gràcia, 19, in Barcelona. The building is owned by the regional government and has ten floors, five of which are managed by the government. The other five are currently managed in usufruct by Six, the Swiss stock exchange operator and owner of BME, Spain's stock market operator. The Catalan government will convert the five upper floors of the building into a hub for companies linked to financial services, whether start-ups or divisions of established companies.

The aim is to develop businesses associated with technology finance (fintech and insurtech), sustainable finance, venture capital and other segments such as investment platforms, digital payment systems, cybersecurity and big data. To this end, a call for tenders will be launched in July to award the space to a manager who will attract this type of business.

In the meantime, the Catalan government has opened talks with Six to embark on a new venture in the five lower floors it occupies in the building. Minister for Economy and Finance, Natàlia Mas Guix, met today in Zurich with the manager of Six to discuss the possibility of attracting the company's technology divisions to Barcelona.

"This project has two objectives," said Mas Guix from Switzerland. "Firstly, to create a hub that puts Barcelona on the map of the new financial services that are proliferating thanks to new technologies. And secondly, to ensure that Catalonia has a stock exchange and capital market worthy of its economic potential", she added.

The floors managed by the Catalan government, totalling 3,130 square metres of surface area, were used by the Ministry of Economy until 2020. Since then, the government has been working to refurbish the space, which is now ready to be occupied by the winner of the call for tenders set to take place in July.