BARCELONA CATALONIA AT 2014 MIPIM REAL ESTATE FAIR

Barcelona and Catalonia consolidate position as hub to attract foreign investment

  
Barcelona Catalonia presents top real estate and logistics projects in Barcelona and Catalonia at MIPIM to address the needs of any business initiative

Barcelona Catalonia’s participation this year at MIPIM stands out as it offers investors a global overview of the main urban-planning projects with links to the knowledge economy being developed in Barcelona and its surroundings. Barcelona Catalonia is presenting 2 million m2 of land for industrial and logistics use and more than 3 million m2 for offices in the best locations and with the best possible transport connections.

The economy continues to recover, which led to a three-fold year-on-year increase in the real estate investment attracted in Barcelona in 2013, with a total volume of operations valued at 1,222 million euros. 82% of this investment came from foreign markets, according to data published recently by Aguirre Newman. This is further backed up by the area’s position on prestigious rankings and in international studies like the Financial Times FDI Intelligence, which puts Catalonia second among European regions in terms of volume of foreign investment, taking into account that it attracted more than 1,921 million dollars (1,439 million euros) in the first half of 2013, the number one region of the future in southern Europe and Barcelona, the 7th European city of the future (2013-2014). Ernst & Young also ranks the city of Barcelona the third most attractive in Europe for investment, surpassed only by London and Paris, and Boyd Cohen ranks it the 4th Smart City in Europe.

The MIPIM real estate fair is held from 11 to 14 March at the Cannes Palais des festivals. The Catalan booth (20.01) will feature projects showing a metropolis in transformation that supports innovative activities, economic growth that goes hand-in-hand with research and new technology, and features strategic transport hubs and business parks, while also improving quality of life for residents. On one hand, noteworthy projects in the city include the new gateway to Europe (La Sagrera high-speed train station and surroundings), the new urban center (smart city campus and Plaça Glòries), the port district (Marina del Prat Vermell, Morrot, etc.) and the new City of Knowledge (Diagonal-Besòs campus, KEY, Fusion for Energy, etc.). And, on the other, metropolitan projects like Parc de l’Alba, Can Sant Joan, Ripollet Business Park, Mas Blau, Ca n’Alemany and Santa Perpètua de la Mogoda-Can Banús II.

The buildings the Government of Catalonia has just put up for sale will also be presented at MIPIM. This new package features 13 buildings that all boast excellent locations in the center of this city available for a wide variety of uses.

Barcelona Catalonia is the commitment of the Government of Catalonia and the Barcelona City Council to promote the development of strategic new projects in the metropolitan area, as well as the most important logistics spaces on offer along the Mediterranean Corridor. These projects show Barcelona and Catalonia as a setting where any business initiative is possible.

The Catalan Barcelona Catalonia delegation this year will be accompanied by various private partners that are collaborating on urban-planning projects in Catalonia, including the Barcelona Urban Cluster (BUC), BCQ Arquitectes, Cornex Capital, Fabregat Perulles Sales, L35 Arquitectes, Renta Corporación, Roa Arquitectura and Sant Tirs, in a clear commitment to traditional public/private partnership that takes place in our country, seeking to make the sector more competitive and foster its internationalization.

In addition to the presentation of Barcelona Catalonia projects at the booth, the delegation, headed up by Deputy Mayor for the Economy, Enterprise and Employment for the Barcelona City Council Sònia Recasens and Director of the Catalan Land Institute (INCASÒL) Damià Calvet, will participate in various forums and events during the fair to highlight the fact that Catalonia and Barcelona have the quality economic, business and workforce potential necessary to become one of the main hubs in the Mediterranean region. Highlights include the Green Mipim Innovation Forum. Cities’ transformation: urban regeneration strategies, Barcelona - La Sagrera: the Gate to Europe, and the conference Logistics and transport hubs. As well as many meetings with international investors and other representatives from cities and regions participating in the fair.

*Attached is a press kit with information on all the Barcelona Catalonia projects and the highlights of MIPIM 2014

For more information:
Anna Palasí (a_palasi@gencat.cat)
Isabel Ponti (iponti@bcn.cat)