Catalonia is best southern European region for attracting investment

The ‘fDi Magazine’ from the Financial Times media group has recognized Catalonia as the best southern European region for investment in 2020-2021, the third time in a row that the prestigious international ranking has awarded the country top spot. To compile the twice-yearly ranking used by multinationals to study future business investments, the fDi Magazine looked at 150 regions in terms of their connectivity, business climate, economic potential, human capital, and foreign investment strategies.

“We are very happy that this distinction positions us a hub for technological investment,” said business minister, Àngels Chacón, who added that such recognition “shows that Catalonia is synonymous with confidence, international openness and, above all, the future.” According to the minister, there are more than 8,600 subsidiaries of foreign companies in Catalonia, of which a thousand are in the technology sector, which she said proves that the country “continues to be a territory that is attractive for investors.”

After Catalonia in the fDi Magazine’s ranking came the region of Madrid in second place, which was followed by the Italian region of Lombardy in third place. At the end of 2018, the Financial Times magazine awarded an fDi Strategy Award to the Catalonia Trade & Investment (CT&I) public agency, known as Acció in Catalan, in recognition of its strategy for attracting foreign investment.

According to the most recent figures, in 2018 the Catalan government attracted 84 foreign investment projects (over 20% more than in the previous year), worth a record total of 322 million euros (+34%) and creating 5,455 jobs (+70%).