Uncertainty is the sign of times and the best orientation for a public institution like Barcelona City Council is to accept reality as it is. To face it you need to explain where the city is going, which are their main plans and projects: if you don’t explain yourself no one is doing it for you. We have accomplished this objective: In this 2022 MIPIM edition Barcelona Catalonia has celebrated the 15th presence in a row in this real state Fair. There is no other Southern European city with this track record.
I’m very optimistic about the future prospect of Barcelona, not just for this next year but for the times to come. Let me have a look at two consolidated trends that will affect investors in alternative assets: attraction of international talent and tech companies.
In the year 2000 only 6% of Barcelonians were foreign nationals in front of 23% last year’s rate. On the top of that 30% of the 265 thousand University Students come from abroad. If you add to the equation the 9 universities and the 2 top ten business schools you will get some basic data to your Investment Analysis.
On the other hand, international companies have landed in Barcelona in search of both the local and international available talent. Pepsico, Microsoft and Google are some of the global corporations that have located global digital hubs. All these companies announced when landing their city-partners approach showing a strategic commitment to build together in the long run with the city of Barcelona.
For both international talent and companies Barcelona City Council and Barcelona Activa have experienced services that make easier their landing. These are the foundation reasons for my optimism about the future of Barcelona.