Catalonia currently boasts 140 international technological hubs (data for 2023), representing an 11% increase from the previous year. This is one of the main findings of the ‘Tech Hubs Overview’ report prepared by Mobile World Capital Barcelona in collaboration with the Government and Barcelona City Council

The report indicates that international technological centres present in Catalonia employ 26,407 people, a 25% increase, and generate 2.54 billion euros annually, a 25% increase compared to the previous year.

The Minister for Business and Labour, Roger Torrent i Ramió, highlighted the government’s efforts to promote this ecosystem. “87% of these 140 centres have been established in Catalonia with the support of the Government, a figure that increases to 93% in the case of new hubs in 2023,” he stated.

In this regard, the minister pointed out that “attracting new international digital hubs is a priority for the Government because we recognise their importance in generating more and better knowledge in our country, connecting it with the local business fabric, and ultimately benefiting society”.

And he added that “we are jointly responsible for this ecosystem and we are continuing to work to expand it throughout the territory and with more connections to deeptech technologies”.

Future prospects

The data from the report indicates that the impact of hubs will continue to grow at an accelerated pace in the coming years. The forecast is that, by 2026, the sector will employ more than 36,500 people and exceed 3.6 billion euros in revenue thanks to the development of new technologies with high market value.

In this respect, Catalonia’s tech ecosystem gains strength both from the arrival of new hubs and from the sustained growth of those that have been operating here for some time, which have maintained a notable increase, both in workforce and revenue. Specifically, the average workforce of the hubs has increased from 168 to 203 people in just one year.