In a standout economic achievement, the Barcelona region has continued to solidify its position as one of Europe’s most dynamic destinations for foreign business, with approximately 9,600 foreign-owned companies now operating in the region as of late 2025 — a significant rise compared with a decade ago. This growth reflects a broad trend of international corporate interest and reinvestment in Barcelona’s diversified economy.
These figures are detailed in the “Directory of Foreign Company Subsidiaries in Catalonia, 2024”, published by ACCIÓ — Catalonia Trade & Investment, the government agency responsible for attracting and supporting foreign investment.
Foreign Companies: A Snapshot of Growth
The report underscores the robust growth of foreign subsidiaries in the Barcelona region over the past decade, driven in part by an expanding international business ecosystem and strategic location within Europe. Around one in five of these foreign companies was established in the last five years, illustrating the region’s continued appeal to global firms.
Geographical Reach
Barcelona’s foreign business community is truly global, with companies from around 90 countries represented in the region. Key source markets include the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy, each accounting for significant shares of foreign subsidiaries. Over recent years, there has also been notable growth from investors based in Japan, Singapore, and China, underscoring Barcelona’s broad international reach.
Sectoral Strengths
Foreign subsidiaries in the Barcelona region span a wide range of industries, contributing to the area’s economic diversity. Leading sectors by turnover include automotive, food and beverage, chemical and pharmaceuticals, and information and communication technologies (ICT) — sectors that continue to attract multinational partners and drive innovation across the local economy.
2025: A Year of Major International Investments
In 2025, the Barcelona region further strengthened its global investment profile with a series of significant foreign-backed projects, reinforcing its position as a hub for strategic industries. Highlights include:
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AstraZeneca’s €1.3 billion expansion of its Barcelona headquarters into a global hub for biomedical research — enhancing the region’s life sciences footprint.
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Repsol’s €800 million investment in the Tarragona Ecoplant, a European first for transforming urban waste into renewable fuels.
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HIPRA’s €500 million biotech campus, strengthening the region’s advanced health and biotech ecosystem.
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New facilities and expansions from global players such as Sanofi, AGC, Digital Realty, Elian, APM Terminals, and Lidl, covering sectors from life sciences and logistics to digital infrastructure and sustainable protein production.
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Scopely’s new tech hub, and an R&D centre by Chery, highlighting Barcelona’s attractiveness for technology and automotive innovation.
These investments not only expand production and research capacity but also generate hundreds of new jobs and affirm the Barcelona region’s strategic importance for global firms looking to scale in Europe’s markets.
Outlook and Strategic Goals
The Barcelona regional government has also set ambitious future targets: its 2026–2030 foreign investment strategyaims to attract €6 billion in new investment, support some 600 projects, and create or maintain around 45,000 jobs, while increasing the number of foreign subsidiaries toward 10,000 by 2030.