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Catalan mobile companies fill the market with innovative and specialized products

Rosa Soto

Catalan companies at the Mobile World Congress increased their presence in the international event by 40% in comparison with 2012. 56 companies were supported by the Catalan Government, which grouped 48 of them together under the Catalonia Stand. They also introduced to the technologic market new apps in different fields and closed deals with other international companies. Most of them are formed by small teams of young entrepreneurs who were looking for venture capital and were making contacts with international businesses to launch their latest technological projects.

February 28, 2013 10:53 PM

Barcelona-based Vueling tripled its profits in 2012 and became the third airline in Paris-Orly

CNA

Vueling earned a net profit of €28.3 million in 2012, almost three times more than the €10.3 million of 2011. It transported 14.8 million passengers, 20.1% more than in the previous year, with an occupancy rate of 77.7%. The Barcelona-based airline continues with its international expansion, especially in Western Europe, and it has become the third largest airline in Paris-Orly and Roma-Fiumicino. It also increased the passenger traffic share it controls in Barcelona El Prat Airport by up to 30%. The total revenue reached €1.103 billion last year, 27.7% more than in 2011. Vueling occupied part of the market share left by Spanair in Barcelona. Besides. the Spanish Stock Market Authority has authorised IAG’s take-over operation of Vueling, aiming to take total control of the Catalan company.

February 27, 2013 10:44 PM

Barcelona hosts the world’s main event of the mobile industry this week

CNA

The GSMA Mobile World Congress, the main international trade fair and congress for cell-phone-related industries, is being held in the Catalan capital from Monday the 25th of February until Thursday the 28th. 70,000 attendees, half of which are senior executives from 200 different countries, are coming to Barcelona to develop new business opportunities and discover the sector’s novelties. With 94,000 square metres of exhibition space, 1,500 participating companies and 300 speakers, the 2013 MWC will break all previous records, and it will be the 8th consecutive year it has been organised in Barcelona. In addition, Barcelona will unveil its new Mobile World Hub by June, aiming to become the world capital of the mobile industries in its own right.

February 25, 2013 11:07 PM

CaixaBank announces a restructuring plan with 3,000 job losses in Spain

CNA

The Barcelona-based bank, CaixaBank, which leads the Spanish retail banking market, is planning to lay off 3,000 workers in order “to adapt to the current context” and “improve the efficiency” of its resources. According to the Catalan financial company, the reform is “necessary” after having taken over Banca Cívica’s network and as they absorbing Banc de València’s too. CaixaBank has engaged in formal talks with the unions, which could be on-going until late April. The objective is to negotiate the exact measures to adjust the staff numbers to the business volume.

February 25, 2013 11:06 PM

The Mobile World Hub is to open its doors in June in Barcelona’s technological district 22@

CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

The platform, which is aiming to become one of the world’s main hubs for companies working within the mobile and cell phone-related industry, will start its activities in the Catalan capital in June. The Mobile World Hub aims “to transform Barcelona and Catalonia into the best mobile framework” to enhance entrepreneurship, develop business projects, attract talent, create knowledge and become one of the main world centres of the mobile industry. In addition, it will also work to make of Barcelona an international lighthouse hosting the regulation and standardization bodies for the mobile industry. The Mobile World Hub will be located in the MediaTIC Building, a high-tech venue in the Catalan capital’s Poblenou neighbourhood. The announcement comes five days before the Mobile World Congress kicks off.

February 20, 2013 10:44 PM

Catalan multinational Abertis’ recurrent net profit increased by 2% and reached €613 million

CNA

The highway, airport and telecommunication services management company earned a net profit of €1,024 million in 2012, 42% more than in the previous year, mainly thanks to the sales of Eutelsat and Brisa. The net profit without the surplus value reached €613 million, 2% more than in 2011. The Barcelona-based group presented better results in all of its main financials: revenues increased by 3%, recurrent earning before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) by 2%. Abertis emphasised that these results have been reached in a context of economic recession in some of its main markets. However, the traffic increase in the Americas (+4.5%) and Abertis’ efficiency plans compensated for the traffic decrease in southern Europe.

February 19, 2013 11:29 PM

Gas Natural Fenosa increased its net profit by 8.8% in 2012, earning €1.44 billion

CNA

The Catalan energy multinational’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) reached €5.08 billion, 9.4% more than in 2011, thanks to its international business, which grew by 22.6% and balanced out the stagnation in the Spanish market. In fact, Gas Natural Fenosa’s business in Spain now only accounts for 56.8% of its gross profits, while in 2011 this represented 61.5%. Furthermore, the firm’s financial debt decreased by 7.5% and now the company’s financial debt/EBITDA ration is 3.1. With these results, the Barcelona-based company has fulfilled the objectives of its strategic plan up until 2012.

February 19, 2013 09:45 PM

Barcelona unveils a new permanent platform for mobile technologies, the Mobile World Centre

CNA

Barcelona plays host each year to the world’s largest cell phone-related technology event, the Mobile World Congress, and the Catalan city is becoming an international hub in this field, concentrating several platforms, business initiatives and cultural projects. In fact, Barcelona was declared the Mobile World Capital, in order to act as a global meeting point and platform for mobile related industry. The Mobile World Centre was unveiled on Thursday in Catalunya Square, in the heart of the city, and will become a permanent lighthouse for mobile technology. It will display human stories of how this technology can help in everyday life, explaining the latest developments and also the history of this industry.

February 14, 2013 11:30 PM

The Catalan economy contracted by 1.3% in 2012, while the Spanish economy decreased by 1.8%

CNA

Economic recession hit Catalonia even harder in 2012 than in 2011, when it dropped by 0.7%. The contraction was especially severe in the last quarter of the year. In December, Catalonia’s GDP plummeted by 0.6% compared to 3 months previously. The fourth quarter’s poor figures made the Catalan economy contract by 1.3% over 2012. In 2011, it also decreased but at a slower pace, dropping by 0.7%. For the whole of Spain, the economy plummeted by 1.8% in 2012 and by 0.7% over the last quarter of the year, compared to the figures from September 2012. The main reason behind the last quarter’s drop is the decrease in consumption by families, compared to the purchases made in the third quarter, before the VAT increase.

February 14, 2013 10:57 PM

Gas Natural Fenosa buys 10% of Medgaz submarine pipeline from Algerian company Sonatrach

CNA / Clara Roig

Leading Catalan electric and natural gas company Gas Natural Fenosa has bought 10% of Medgaz, a submarine gas pipeline between Algeria and Europe that provides natural gas to the south of Europe. The pipeline has a capacity of transporting eight billion cubic meters per year and the acquisition has cost the Catalan company €61.9 million. Gas Natural Fenosa will use 10% of the transport capacity of the gas pipeline. The contract will last for 18 years.

February 13, 2013 08:41 PM

House sales in Catalonia increased by 4% in December, just before the end of tax benefits

CNA

The 2,885 housing units sold in Catalonia during December increased by 4% compared to the figures from a year ago. The main reason for this rise is that, in January, the Spanish Government’s tax benefits applied when purchasing a house – approved to reactivate this economic sector after the collapse of the real estate market – will no longer exist. 66% of the houses and apartments sold were second hand, while the other third were newly built. For the whole of Spain, housing sales increased by 2.3% in December. In 2012, house sales dropped by 11.3% over 2012.

February 11, 2013 09:49 PM

Banc Sabadell posts €81.9 million profit in 2012, 64.7% less than last year

CNA / Rosa Soto

The Catalan Banc Sabadell finished 2012 with positive results and net benefits of €81.9 million. Banc Sabadell has now reached 5th position among the Spanish financial entities in the last economic exercise due to its assets valued at €175 billion. However, this figure shows a 64.7% drop in benefits in comparison to 2011. The main reason for the decrease is the €2.54 billion for provisions, 142.2% more than 2011. The President of Banc Sabadell, Josep Oliu, emphasised the company’s solvency and spoke of its capacity to buy additional entities in the international market.

February 11, 2013 07:30 PM

Tarragona’s chemical hub unveils its first intermodal station with international-standard width railway

CNA / Anna Fortuny / Núria Torres

Tarragona’s intermodal freight station is located within the Bayer factory and it will serve all the companies located in the southern half of the chemical centre. Tarragona is host to Spain’s largest chemical hub, which will be connected by international-standard width railway to Central and Northern Europe once the Spanish Government has built the stretch between this economic centre and Greater Barcelona. This stretch is part of the strategic Mediterranean Railway Corridor, which the Spanish Government has been delaying for years. This main infrastructure will combine a high-speed passenger railway with goods transportation. Once completed, it will connect Gibraltar with Northern Europe via Spain’s Mediterranean ports and industrial centres, including València, Tarragona and Barcelona.

February 9, 2013 05:41 PM

Catalonia’s industrial production dropped by 2.7% in 2012, while the Spanish index plummeted by 5.9%

CNA

The economic recession has meant that Catalonia’s industrial production index decreased by 2.7% last year, according to the Spanish Statistics Institute (INE). In addition, the note indicated that the Catalan industrial sector has contracted for the last 10 consecutive months. However, Catalan industry had been less affected than the Spanish average, which plummeted by 5.9% in 2012. One severely affected sector was the production of long-life goods, in which car manufacturers are included, which decreased by 7.1% in December, accumulating 28 consecutive months in the red. Another sector with problems is the means of production, with a 7.3% decrease in December and 11 consecutive months of accumulated drops.

February 7, 2013 09:56 PM

Nissan will assemble its new saloon car model in Barcelona

CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

After having reached an agreement on the measures to increase competitiveness with the trade unions last week, the Japanese multinational car manufacturer finally confirmed on Monday that its Barcelona plant will be building Nissan’s new saloon car model as of July 2014. The decision will bring in a direct investment of €130 million, creating 1,000 direct positions in the Nissan factory and 3,000 indirect jobs in the Catalan automobile parts supply industry. After seven months of talks, including a critical period when Barcelona seemed to be out of the race, the Nissan managers and trade unions finally reached an agreement early last week, based on a 20% salary reduction for new workers and guaranteeing the oldest jobs. The President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, emphasised that Nissan’s announcement confirms that Catalonia is “an attractive and reliable country”.

February 4, 2013 11:12 PM

Read the latest updates and breaking news on business and economic matters from Barcelona and Catalonia here. Keep up to date with how the Catalan economy is performing, inflation levels, employment and unemployment, major business mergers, important company announcements, and the latest on Catalonia’s biggest enterprises such as Vueling, Wallbox, Grifols, Mango, and plenty of start-ups and international firms based here too.