Catalonia to promote investments and culture in Barça’s Asian tour

Catalonia will make the most of FC Barcelona’s pre-season tour and will promote the country’s economy and culture, in a joint effort of administrations and the football club.

The business and culture ministers, as well as some Barcelona local government officials, will travel to Japan, where Ernesto Valverde’s men will play their first two pre-season matches, against Chelsea (July 23) and Vissel Kobe (July 27).

AGC, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Kawasaki, DENSO

One of the aims of the Catalan government is to seek foreign investments to the country and strengthening the trade relationship between Japan and Catalonia.

Business minister Àngels Chacón and Catalonia Trade & Investment agency head Joan Romero will visit several Japanese firms, such as Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Lifull, Nisshin OilliO Group and Kawasaki’s industrial robotics plant.

They will also meet with AGC building and industry firm, which has a plant in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, north of Barcelona, and which will set their first European production plant of their pharma section in Catalonia.

DENSO, a supplier of advanced automotive technology, will also be visited by Chacón and Romero.

'Barcelona Catalonia Talks. Business and Barça’

Culture minister Mariàngela Vilallonga will support Catalonia’s culture in Japan attending Barcelona’s Symphonic Orchestra’s performance of ‘Turandot’ opera in the New National Theatre Tokyo, among other concerts.

She will also visit an exhibit on Barcelona, promoted by Catalonia’s National Art Museum (MNAC) and meet some culture officials.

The government, Barcelona’s council and Barça will hold two events in Tokyo and Kobe, called ‘Barcelona Catalonia Talks. Business and Barça,’ where they will try to persuade Japanese firms to invest in the country. All three institutions will also promote tourism.

254 Japanese firms in Catalonia

Japan is the Asian country with more companies settled in Catalonia, 254, which means 75% of those with a seat in Spain.

Last year, some 155,000 Japanese tourists visited Barcelona.