Privalia opens its own logistics centre in Barcelona
The company sells high end clothing on the Internet. It distributes over 25.000 items of clothing daily amongst its 3,7 million clients. The centre will deliver on demand from Spain and Italy.
catalan
SEAT plant in Barcelona to hire 900 workers to produce the new Audi Q3
The new employees hired will be people currently out of work. The Spanish car manufacturer, which is part of the Volkswagen group, has its factory in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. SEAT will for the next five years invest 300 million euros annually.
The first stage of the Cava Interpretation Centre underway
Work on historic building in Sant Sadurní will finish soon. The museum will be dedicated to the history of cava and the home town of Catalonia’s most renowned drink.
Knowledge of Catalan language to be taken into account to renew immigration certificates
The Catalan Government announced that knowledge of the Catalan language will be a “very determining” factor in proving integration in Catalonia in order to renew residency certificates or family grouping.
Carme Ruscalleda: “Our cuisine is more rural. It focuses more on local products and is more accessable”
In a video interview, the Catalan chef who has been awarded five Michelin Stars, Carme Ruscalleda, explains her vision of Catalan cuisine. She describes it as a combination of specific techniques and wit carried out by farmers and fishermen mixed with French and Italian bourgeois cuisine. According to her, Catalonia’s gastronomy is derived from local products and is spreading worldwide, thanks in part to the influence of Ferran Adrià.
Banc Sabadell rules out buying CatalunyaCaixa in the short-term
However, the Catalan bank does not close the door to integrating a financial entity in the future. Banc Sabadell wants to take advantatge of the restructuring process of the financial system to grow throughout Spain, told its President Josep Oliu.
“15,000 million euros to restructure the Spanish banking sector are perfectly assumable”, states an ESADE expert
The Director of ESADE’s Master in Finance, Jordi Fabregat, recommends that Catalan savings banks speed up its transformation into private banks in order.
From Tagamanent to Hong Kong to explain Catalan cuisine
Chef Mercè Brunés is invited to China to present Catalan dishes on local media.
The Spanish Government will pay for the train tickets price reduction in the end
After the Spanish Governments announcement to reduce the price of local train tickets by 5% with the aim of fostering public transportation to save fuel, the Catalan Government, which manages the service in Catalonia, quantified in 26 million euros its loss in 1 year. Therefore, the Catalan Executive refused to pay for the measure. The Spanish Government will pay 6.75 million euros for 3 months of the measure.
Ryanair says now it will focus on Girona airport if the Catalan Government pays up
Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary urges the Catalan Government to pay 11,5 million euros to the airline if it wants Girona’s airport to see all its Ryanair flights back from October onwards. O’Leary says that the Irish company cancelled 28% of its routes from Girona for the Spring/Summer season due to the “lack of commitment” from the new Catalan executive.
Santi Santamaría: “We are a showcase to display products you’d never have known before”
The Catalan Chef Santi Santamaria died of a heart attack this February. Last Autumn he gave this video interview in which he depicts his view on cuisine, the importance of local quality products, his own career and the new generation of the Catalan chefs.
Yamaha closes its factory in Catalonia and fires 388 workers
At the end of January, the Japanese motorbike company announced its decision and this week it issued its mass layoff plan. Yamaha will concentrate all its European production in its French factory. The Catalan factory was making profit and trade unions have stressed that the decision is only based on the company’s strategy. Yamaha will keep its commercial offices in Catalonia.
The Catalan President asks Barroso to make the Mediterranean Railway Corridor a European priority
The President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso met with the President of the Catalan Government Artur Mas in Brussels. Barroso recognised the Catalan Government's efforts to reduce public deficit. Mas emphasised the importance of making Catalan an official EU language. Mas was accompanied by the Christian-Democrat Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida and the new Catalan Delegate to the European Union, Joan Prat.
Car components company Ficosa buys the American Camryn
The Catalan multinational car components company Ficosa increased its sales in the US and Mexico by 20%. Ficosa is also expanding its Viladecavalls plant in the South of Barcelona to turn it into an international technological centre. The Catalan company will have more than 28% of the North-American market share of car mirrors.
Barcelona presents ten companies to London investors
Scott Sage (UK Investor): "Barcelona has been our focal point in Spain". A group of companies from the Catalan capital attended a meeting with investors in the United Kingdom.