The Alba Synchrotron: a way to foreign investment

Cerdanyola del Vallès (CNA).- One of the main focuses of ‘Catalonia Catalyst’, a program proposed by the Catalan Government to generate foreign investment, is the Alba Synchrotron. Apart from the synchrotron, places such as the Esade Creápolis, the Technological Park of Vallès and the UAB Research Park are fronting the initiative to convince foreign investors that putting money into Catalan advanced technology businesses is a good idea that could create valuable jobs as well.
“It could be better than it is at the present”. This is the response given by Jordi Marquet, the general director of the UAB Research Park, when asked about the current state of foreign investment within the technology sector. While the territory is full of notable multinational companies, “the development of high technology is not at a high enough level”, said Marquet. However, he also recognised that in the past few years, several actions to correct this technological deficit have been underway.

Where is the problem? Joan Barrero, the manager of the Cerdanyola electrical equipment company Advancare, sees it clearly. “Catalonia and Spain do not have a brand image in the technological market. This dynamic has existed for many years, as most businesses have not been up to par on a R&D level and have become an accessory to other countries. We have tourism and other sectors that do well, but they do not contribute to a brand image based on technology. We are not seen as a place for investment”, Barrero stated.

Marquet said that construction and service industries have been fundamental for the Spanish state in the last few years. “We have neglected investment in other elements, productive sectors and knowledge generators and now we are trying to catch up”, he added.


In the past five years, work has been done to change this dynamic, like the recent Alba Synchrotron. “We hope that it will play an important role and generate a ripple effect. These great infrastructures continue to attract businesses, scientific activity and technology”, he explained. Marquet used the examples of Great Britain, Grenoble and Berlin to give weight to his explanation.

Barrero has shown support for the importance of the Alba Synchrotron. “There will be a critical mass of companies within the same space. An interested investor will no longer have to make 30 trips as they will have 10 to 20 businesses very close together”.

A different way of seeing things

The case of Advancare is a good example of foreign investors’ confidence. For example, Barrero explained that achieving foreign investment “is much easier” beyond the Pyrenees, and that they have directly focused on seducing foreign capital. “Attracting investors from here is impossible. Foreign businesses and institutions are betting on the future and if 1 out of 10 investments work out for them, they will be saved. It is another way of seeing things”, he stated.

The effects of the economic crisis may have led these businesses to change their strategies. “I am waiting for it, because if it does not work out we will have a severe problem. You only have to analyse how the crisis has affected the sectors. The engineering and investigation sectors, for example, have not felt the effects as much as traditional sectors”, he noted.

Marquet added that the solution should not come from eliminating traditional sectors in the country, but asked that it come from a compensative and balanced system. “The Spanish state is a huge tourist attraction. There is work to be done, especially in producing products with more value”.

The role of universities

Regarding the role of universities, Barrero commented on the importance of “spin-offs”, or having members from the academic community take part in investigation work. “The Catalan university is not used to looking for investment because it does not really need private funding. The case of spin-offs is different as it puts them on the market as if they were any other business”, he said.

A growing sector

According to data from the Catalan Government, this advanced technology pole spans some 1.6 million square metres, 649,000 of which “will be in various stages of development until 2013”. Because of this, diverse sectors are offering investment opportunities such as biotechnology and biomedicine, health, agrifood, microelectronics, nanotechnology and environmental and experimental sciences, among others.

The Alba Synchrotron is predicted to be the only infrastructure of this type that will accommodate over 1,000 investigators a year.