Barcelona capital of technology

Barcelona consolidates its position as a technological hub with the arrival of more global firms

Barcelona consolidates, even more, as a technological and innovation hub. The arrival or expansion of activities of up to ten international firms in the last four months gives the Catalan capital a power that has allowed it to attract giants such as Facebook, Lidl or Mediamarkt. They are joined by Amazon‘s biggest bet, which was already present, or the arrival of reference startups in their sectors such as N26 or Chartboost.

Access to talent, quality of life and lower costs are some of the keys that push companies to install their innovation centers in the city.
MediaMarkt, the last example

The last to announce the installation of an innovation center was MediaMarkt. The German trade giant announced earlier this month that it will launch an international technology center in El Prat de Llobregat (Barcelona) this year. This tech hub will aim to develop technological solutions for the retail trade.

In June, the German fintech N26 announced that in September it will open its second European headquarters in Barcelona. From these offices, about one hundred engineers will work on the development of the product and the technology of the company. In two or three years, the workforce could double.

May, key month

Looking back a little, May was another key month for business investments in Catalan territory. Several large movements are counted. The first, that of the Argentine satellite company  Satellogic which opened its offices in Barcelona. These offices will be the European headquarters of the company, which plans to create 100 jobs by 2020.

Another great announcement was that of Lidl, who will install its European center of excellence in Plaza Catalunya, right in the center of Barcelona. From there he will provide e-commerce and customer relationship management services at regional level in Europe and will employ 250 people.,
The Australian Moodle will also disembark in the Catalan capital. The company that aims to revolutionize education with its software, intends to create 40 jobs (it will start with ten) and has opted for Barcelona to open its first office outside its country of origin.

Although smaller, the American Chartboost, founded by two Catalans, opened an engineering office in Barcelona at the end of May. Currently, they employ 20 people.

The bet of Facebook

At the beginning of the month, the most mediatic announcement was that of Facebook. The social network made public the opening of a fake news control center that will run the Austrian company Competence Call Center (CCC). The offices will be located in the Torre Glòries, entrance door to 22 @, and will employ 500 people.

Contact us if you come to Spain

Barcelona Car Service Airport

Car Service Madrid

Car Service Barcelona

Car Service Barcelona to Cruise Port

Chauffeur Barcelona airport

USA & Catalonia

The US consul says American companies remain interested in investing in Catalonia

US consul in Barcelona

The US consul, Marco Mandojana, said in an interview at Mon a Rac1 that new companies of American origin are still interested in investing in Catalonia.

Mandojana, who took office as US consul general in Barcelona on August 15, 2015, totaled about 700 the number of American companies that are already established in Catalonia and think you are doing “very well”. “We continue to enter and news of new investments, such as Amazon. “There is good integration in Catalonia and are open to foreign investment.”

Regarding the incidence of sovereignty process, he believes it is “an internal matter for Spain”, while acknowledging that “care what happens, we inform Washington but not we for or the one nor the other.” In this regard, he clarified that no daily contact with the ambassador in Madrid “but our reports go straight to Washington.”

About Puigdemont

“I met the president of the Generalitat when he was mayor of Girona, now ask for a meeting with him and his new team,” says Mandojana. The consul recently met with Carme Forcadell a “cordial” meeting in which they talked about “the priorities of the Parliament”. According Mandojana, Forcadell said “transparency, which seems very good.”

Security

Mandojana has also addressed safety issues, with the attacks in Paris in memory. “It is possible that in Barcelona or any other big city in Europe or the United States pass something similar, so we are always on high alert,” he said during the interview. “After the March 11 Spain has greatly increased its capacity in this area and is an important ally.”

Courtesy Car Service Barcelona

Chauffeur Barcelona airport

Car Service Madrid

Amazon express delivery in Barcelona

Rented a building in the Eixample at Rossello street that has a large underground warehouse

Amazon-Carrer Rosello-Barcelona

The multinational electronic commerce Amazon has chosen Barcelona to test its new logistics model, express delivery, which will deliver a purchase on the same day, within hours. The multinational has set a goal to improve the shopping experience, and for that one of the key factors is the delivery. Thus, the company has studied various locations in Barcelona and has finally reached an agreement to rent the former headquarters of the publisher Gustavo Gili 89 Rossello street of Barcelona, according to TV3. The building has ample storage space and is already under construction. The company declined to comment on the operation and simply explain that “this is an innovative project focused on the customer.”

Real estate sources explained that the US company has studied various, small and central, in addition to the large logistics center in El Prat wants to open locations. Its proximity to consumers will help reduce delivery times, and thus include in its catalog selling fresh produce. The company has also initiated a trial of this distribution model in New York, but it’s the first time we implemented in Europe.

François Nuyts, CEO of Amazon to Spain, as he said last May during a visit to the city, “we are working to launch new services in Barcelona. Whatever we do in the United States and Spain work to try to move it, and we also want to own innovation. ” The manager, who knew Catalunya where usually spend their holidays, said that “when we explained in US projects for Barcelona we found a very special resonance.” He reiterated that his aim is “to improve the shopping experience of Barcelona”.

Amazon launched a year ago in New York express delivery service Prime Now available only in some areas of Manhattan, which overcharged by $ 8 promises to deliver the order in 1 hour, and free delivery order in two hours. In May, the company expanded the service, and also included the distribution of prepared food restaurant chains and high-end delivery of fresh foods.

The new store will complement the street Rosselló the company logistics center opens in El Prat de Llobregat, on land of Incasòl, which will serve orders throughout southern Europe. The firm is conducting due diligences, at the closing of the acquisition, which could be delayed a few more weeks was conditioned.

 

Courtesy

Barcelona Car Service Airport

Car Service Barcelona to Cruise Port

Car Service Barcelona

Chauffeur Barcelona airport

Car Service Madrid

 

Amazon next to the airport of El Prat de Llobregat

Amazon will invest $ 100 million in its logistics center in El Prat

Amazon next to the airport of El Prat de Llobregat

The Minister of Enterprise & employment, Felip Puig, advanced Tuesday that Amazon will invest around 100 million euros in its logistics center in El Prat de Llobregat, including the cost of land and investment in the construction of ships, technology and internal facilities.

The minister said on Catalunya Radio, plans e-commerce giant, which on Monday was awarded a plot of 150,000 square meters owned by the Catalan Land Institute in El Prat, near the port and airport of Barcelona, which provides lift its large logistics center of reference in southern Europe.

Although the Amazon multinational has prevented advance their plans for the land of El Prat, for which he paid 30 million euros, Puig explained the great figures of the project and added that the logistics center should be in place “after summer 2017 “. The minister also said he expects the final agreement for the sale of the plot to close within a month, and that the works, that will last “a year and a half,” starting soon.

Amazon’s offer is subject to conditions, including approval of planning and construction licenses and corresponding arrival of the metro line 9 to the area, but the minister was assumed that these conditions will be met and considered the investment is “safe” but appealed in any case keep “some understanding”. the introduction of Amazon, said the minister, it will generate “more than 1,500 direct jobs and even more indirect.”

Moreover, the minister accused the Spanish government of “filter” in March last year, Amazon plans in El Prat in order to “hamper” this investment, “not to bear fruit.” “Surely tried to convince them that this operation could make near Madrid,” he added the minister, who recalled that the group already has a logistics center in San Fernando de Henares (Madrid) and recently announced its expansion, for which she will pass 32,000 square meters to 75,000 square meters, well below the 210,000 meters that have the center of El Prat, which will make it the largest group of the peninsula, and one of the largest in Europe.

Against the optimism of the Catalan government and the city of El Prat, the general secretaries of CCOO and UGT de Catalunya, Joan Carles Gallego and Josep Maria Alvarez, were critical of Amazon.

Gallego said that Amazon does not distinguish “to be champion” in terms of quality work, which has insisted that be vigilant in ensuring the quality of employment generated by the new center, which will create jobs both direct and indirect .

Alvarez warned that “these businesses require little skilled labor and low wages work”, and said that in times of economic crisis and high unemployment it seems that anything goes and you do not mind the quality of jobs. UGT leader questioned logistic centers should be located in the environment in the metropolitan area of the Catalan capital, which has said it can become a “fudge unsorted”.

Courtesy

Barcelona Car Service Airport

Car Service Barcelona to Cruise Port

Car Service Barcelona

Chauffeur Barcelona airport

Car Service Madrid