5 reasons why ICT companies are choosing Barcelona, Catalonia
December 21, 2021 Catolonia
Whether connecting remote locations, accessing the Internet and cloud networking services, or improving day-to-day collaboration, more than ever before, people and businesses have clung to technology in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
With the increased adoption of digital technologies, new investments in the ICT sector have been transforming the Catalonia economy.
ICT growth in Catalonia
Over recent years, the Catalan ICT sector has undergone steady growth. According to a report by Catalonia Trade and Investment, the ICT sector has grown 17% since 2016 and has 16,711 companies working in this field to date.
Voted by Tech Cities, Savills Index, 2019, Barcelona ranks 1st as the best tech city which is not a capital. Further, for a third consecutive time, Catalonia has been recognized by The Financial Times as the best region to invest in southern Europe and where world-leading companies and trailblazers share the latest thought leadership about the progression and future of connectivity.
Backed by a rich network of tech providers and its geostrategic location, there are several key motivations why modern ICT providers choose Catalonia. Here are 5 purposes why international companies are choosing Catalonia.
1) A global European influence
Catalonia's strategic location makes it a gateway climate to efficiently reach European and North African countries. Named Europe’s 1st open 5G laboratory, In 2020, the Financial also declared Catalonia and Barcelona to have the 2nd best strategy in Europe to attract technological investments.
2) A leading destination for tech investments
During 2016-2020, technological investments in Catalonia represented 34% of the total number of foreign investment projects in Western Europe. Equal to 262 foreign investment projects during this period, this ranks Catalonia 7th for tech investment.
Among the top 20 tech companies investing in Catalonia from 2016 to 2020, we can find Siemens, Amazon, Ubisoft, Ficosa, Criteo, Volkswagen-Seat, and Hewlett-Packard.
3) National strategies in advanced digital technologies
Already a leading location for technological FDI in Western Europe, as part of the digital strategy to make Catalonia a global digital point of reference, the government has made a commitment to deploy strategies in disruptive technologies such as 5G, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, and NewSpaceto turn Catalonia into an international technological hub.
4) Southern Europe's top start-up hub
Barcelona is the 4th start-up hub in the EU and as one of southern Europe’s leading startup destinations, Catalonia ranks 5th globally as a preferred work destination for digital experts. With more than 1,700 startups located in Catalonia, 374 ICT and Telecom startups can be identified in the region.
5) An International business community
With an environment favorable to business growth, renowned universities, business schools, and international events hosted, such as the Mobile World Congress and the Smart City Expo World Congress, Catalonia is always open for business.
Founded in 2008 Voiped Telecom is a European provider of ICT (Information and communications technology) solutions.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, Voiped Telecom is strategically positioned to offer robust ICT solutions to the European business communications market and has a notable presence in Belgium, the UK, Ireland, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Slovenia, Italy, Portugal, and, Ukraine.