Barcelona, capital of the new economy

Barcelona Photography

Attractive

Solid brand

Quality of life

Cultural activity

Geographical situation

In recent decades, and thanks to a strong, rich and diverse socio-economic background, Barcelona has become one of the European cities with the greatest economic and global impact, capable of leading an emerging area of economic activity in the south of Europe.

Its numerous assets define it as a city with great potential in the digital revolution that has altered the dimensions of investment and work.

My dream: a Mediterranean, beautiful, big Barcelona… To be a channel for beauty to be the radiance of truth, to discover all its secrets in the laws of the Universe.

Antoni Gaudí

BCN Illustration

Capital of European economic activity

3rd favourite European city for entrepreneurs

According to

Barcelona International Welcome Desk 2025

8th best city brand

According to World’s Best Cities 2026

8th digital city in Europe

According to State of European Tech 2024

5th most attractive city in Europe

According to World’s Best Cities 2026

4th preferred European city to invest

According to CBRE 2025

5th best city in Europe to live

According to European Cities Shaping Tomorrow 2026

8th European city with foreign direct investment for technology projects

According to State of European Tech 2024

3rd favorite European city to establish a startup

According to

World’s Best Cities 2024

8th city with the highest technological investment capture in Europe

According to

Cámara de Comercio de Barcelona 2024

8th most attractive city in the world to work abroad

According to

Decoding Global Talent 2024

4th most attractive city in Europe in terms of digital talent

According to

Decoding Global Talent

Startups represent 0.9% of Catalonia's GDP and employ more than 30,500 people

According to

Acció 2026

With 2,403 startups and 429 scale-ups, it is the largest ecosystem in southern Europe

According to

Acció 2026

Photography Pere Navarro

“By holding the BNEW, we have positioned Barcelona as the world’s capital of the new economy, demonstrating its excellent business environment and potential to lead the development of Industry 4.0.”

Pere Navarro

Special Government Delegate in the CZFB