Financial Times commends Catalonia and Barcelona as business hubs of the future

The Financial Times ranking 'fDi Intelligence' has recognized Catalonia and Barcelona for their ability to attract investment and retain talent, the Catalan government has announced.

'fDi Intelligence', a specialist division of the newspaper, has calculated that Catalonia drew 70 foreign investment projects in 2017, amounting to €241 million of global investment in local industry, innovation and logistics.

Barcelona, in particular, has been featured for the third consecutive year as one of the cities with the most successful strategies for attracting foreign investment, especially in technology.

In 2018, international technology companies, including Microsoft and Amazon, committed to creating 1,500 jobs in Barcelona.

Property developments

The Financial Times formally presented the awards on Tuesday as part of MIPIM, one of the world's leading international property fairs, held in Cannes, in the south of France.

MIPIM has selected two projects from Catalonia as finalists of its own development awards: the Ca n'Alemany de Viladecans industrial center and Sant Pau Hospital research center.

The 'fDI Intelligence' index, 'European Cities and Regions of the Future 2018/2019', is based on the changes in data collected in 2017, analyzing 450 business hubs around Europe.