Zona Franca de Barcelona approves the 2024 accounts with an ordinary profit of 29.7 million euros

• The CZFB informed the entity’s plenary of the imminent start of the extension works for DFactory Barcelona, which by the end of 2026 will have 60,000 m² of space dedicated to Industry 4.0.

• It has also approved the transfer to the Port de Barcelona of the management and maintenance of the railway track on 4 Street and has reported that it is maintaining talks with Barcelona City Council to build the Public Health Agency building in Vall d’Hebrón.

Barcelona, 15 July 2025.- The Plenary of the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB) today approved the audited annual accounts for 2024, recording an ordinary operating profit of 29.7 million euros. During 2024, the CZFB achieved a net turnover of 65.5 million euros, an increase of 2.4 million euros compared to the previous year. At the same time, the entity’s net equity amounts to 654 million euros, as a result of this year’s performance. It is worth noting that the CZFB is a public entity funded entirely with its own resources and through the management of its assets, so all its profits are used to drive innovation and stimulate the economy.

The plenary session of the CZFB was chaired by the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, who highlighted that “the CZFB is expanding its geographical sphere of influence with District 4.0, as a new way of understanding the Zona Franca de Barcelona, integrating it further into the city, connecting it more with the centre and making it more efficient and sustainable. And in this regard, from Barcelona City Council we are working with the Consorci de la Zona Franca on projects related to the creation of new infrastructures, boosting public transport, electrical infrastructure… to make this District 4.0 a hub of development and a new economic driver for the city of Barcelona.”

Expansion of DFactory Barcelona

The CZFB informed the plenary of the start of the extension works for DFactory Barcelona, with urbanisation works scheduled to begin this month. This second phase will see the current 17,000 m² of space increase to 60,000 m² by the end of 2026, consolidating it as the largest public initiative, in partnership with the private sector, to promote collaboration between innovative technologies and creative talent related to Industry 4.0: robotics, 3D printing, sensor technology, artificial intelligence, IoT, augmented and virtual reality, blockchain, or nanotechnology.

The Special State Delegate in the CZFB, Pere Navarro, explained that “we will soon begin the works to extend DFactory Barcelona, adding another 50,000 m² of built space. This industrial project, which we launched in autumn 2021, will now grow to continue offering not only a unique location for all companies dedicated to Industry 4.0, such as sensor technology, robotics or 3D printing, but also the opportunity for them to interact and generate new business.” In this regard, Navarro also announced that “in the coming months we will begin the urbanisation of the entire surroundings of DFactory Barcelona and the construction of a 1,000 m² glass cube, which will become a major events centre, not only for industrial or economic events, but of all kinds. We will also build three buildings, two of them intended for companies, especially those related to health, food and research, among others. The third building will be for services, and we want these three buildings together to be a major reference point for global Industry 4.0.”

Progress towards building the Public Health Agency headquarters

Meanwhile, during the plenary session, the Special State Delegate in the CZFB also reported that “we are in talks to finalise an agreement with Barcelona City Council, by which the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona will be involved in the construction of the Public Health Agency of Barcelona building, located opposite the Vall d’Hebrón Hospital. This agreement involves an investment of 40 million euros and is in line with our commitment to Industry 4.0. Laboratories will be in this building, as will also be installed in the second phase of DFactory. We believe this is a very positive initiative, not only for the CZFB, but above all for the people of Barcelona.”

The CZFB Plenary has also unanimously approved the transfer to the Port de Barcelona of the management and maintenance of the railway line that it passes along 4 Street of the Zona Franca Industrial Estate, serving as the main access to the Prat Wharf of the port authority.

Update of the 2025-29 Strategic Plan

For her part, Blanca Sorigué, General Director of the CZFB, has also provided a progress report on the strategic plan for the 2025-2029 period, which “represents an update to the CZFB’s strategy, focusing on promoting economic and social development projects to improve the quality of life of citizens, urban integration, and compliance with ESG criteria. This strategic plan aims to create spaces for companies to set up and generate employment opportunities.” Sorigué also commented that “three years ago we launched the Feel the ZF Power programme to enable schoolchildren aged 11 to 16 to learn about the activities of companies in the Zona Franca and DFactory Barcelona, with the aim of inspiring STEM vocations, especially among girls. The result has been very positive and we want to expand the scope of the programme across the entire region with the objective of reaching more than 3,000 boys and girls.”

The Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona has also presented members of the plenary with the book on the sixth stage of its history, covering the years 2018 to 2024, which, under the title ‘The Creation of the Factory of Opportunities’, details the transformation undergone by the organisation, marked by its clear strategic vision to promote and become a benchmark entity in Industry 4.0 and the new economy, with innovation, sustainability, and a commitment to ESG criteria as strategic pillars.