Business

Alimentaria 2012 is one of the most important trade fairs in the world focusing on food and drinks. It is organised in the Catalan capital every two years. The next edition will be held between March 26th and March 29th, reducing its length from 5 to 4 days. However, the trade fair maintains the exhibition space and the number of exhibitors and participants.

The Catalan company opts for sustainable energy and internationalisation to get through the economic difficulties. With this move, Baxiroca hopes to become Europe’s major supplier. The plant has cost 4 million euros and will export 80% of its production.

The US technology company Tech Data will create 400 highly qualified jobs in the Catalan capital. Tech Data, which specialises in hardware distribution, will open the new facility in Barcelona’s Zona Franca, an industrial district next to the port. The new Barcelona operations centre will serve the rest of the company’s European plants.

The Irish low-cost airline has announced six new destinations from Barcelona El Prat Airport, as well as an increased frequency of flights on several existing routes. Ryanair has decided to occupy part of the market share left by Spanair after it went bankrupt 10 days ago. Furthermore, Ryanair’s President Michael O’Leary, replied to Spanair workers unions, who complained about the poor working conditions offered by the Irish company to hire them. “Nobody is obliged to work for Ryanair”, he said.

The Catalan bank Banc Sabadell’s profits experienced a 39% fall when compared to its 2010 results. However, the entity strengthened its balance sheet thanks to an increase in the core capital ratio, which added up to 10.3%. Despite the persistent instability of the financial markets, Banc Sabadell expanded its market share and its products and services reached 2.7 million customers.

The Catalan airline has a debt of €474 million; €260 million of which is with its shareholders and the remaining €214 millions with providers, airports and social security. The Catalan Government has invested €140 million in the airline, split in loans given to the company and in Spanair’s capital. Spanair stopped all its activity on Friday evening because it could not find any additional funding. All the more than 12,000 Spanair passengers passing through Catalonia over the weekend found an alternative flight using other airlines.

Due to the impossibility of finding extra capital, the Barcelona-based airline’s board has taken the decision to cancel all its flights and to suspend the company’s activity. Negotiations with Qatar Airways broke down, which forced Spanair’s board to analyse the company’s viability. The Catalan Government, which partially owns the airline, has refused to invest more money in the company, and thus Spanair stopped flying. Passengers will be refunded and will be able to buy discounted tickets with other airlines.

CaixaBank, the main Catalan financial institution experienced a 12.8% drop in its net profit when compared to 2010. In 2011, it focused on increasing its core capital ratio to 12.5% -one of the highest levels in Europe- to strengthen its inner resources and, at the same time, left generic funds for insolvencies intact, cementing its robust position in the financial sector.

This year's edition Mobile World Congress will be the first after Barcelona was officially declared the Mobile World Capital, and the organising city of this annual event until at least 2018. The MWC will start on February 27th with the motto “Redefining mobile”. More than 1,400 companies will be present and organisers expect to break last year’s records. There will also be three times more Catalan companies.

Exports from the Catalan capital’s port have increased by 14% when compared to 2010. Car exports grew by 25%. 3.8 million people passed through Barcelona Port; 2.6 million were passengers of the 881 cruise ships that docked in the city harbour.

Emirates have announced they will link Barcelona with Dubai with a daily flight commencing in July. Furthermore, Spanair have announced connections with Beirut and Moscow, as well as more flights with Germany, France, Croatia and Serbia.

The company plans to open 60 new stores around the world in 2012, and build a new logistics centre in the town of Viladecans, located south of Barcelona. This year, the Catalan brand plans to launch a household linen collection and collaborate with the famous Cirque du Soleil to present new designs inspired by the spectacle.

The participation of the Catalan business community and local governments in the management of Barcelona’s Airport has been halted. This has been a long-term claim by many in Catalonia, as they believe that the centralised management of the airports has clearly benefited Madrid over Barcelona. The new Spanish Minister for Public Works and Transport announced the decision to cancel the tender process to privatise the management of Spain’s two main airports, Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El Prat. The reasons for the decision have been put down to a negative time for the markets and a desire for the value of the assets to increase in the future.

The 2011 price increase is 0.5 percentage points below the 3% inflation rate of 2010 thanks to a drop in the price of fuel and oil and the leveling off of tobacco prices. Inflation in December 2011 was 0.2 points higher compared to December 2010.

Foreign tourists generated a record amount of revenue last year. The number of visitors also grew by 5.7% in 2011, according to the Catalan Government. Furthermore, Catalonia’s stand at Europe’s most important tourist fair, FITUR, has been declared the best in the current campaign.