winter / spring 2005 nº 33good news
barcelona
in the world 
barcelona 22@
barcelona trade fairs and congresses 
barcelona takes off
barcelona universities
barcelona fashion
summary:
barcelona
port 
barcelona
companies
barcelona
bioregion
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barcelona: gateway to the orient
editorial:
Setting up a company in China can be a real adventure, yet a growing number of companies from
Catalonia are willing to rise to this challenge. The prospect  of having access to a market of
1,300,000,000 inhabitants-consumers is motivation enough for the owners of small and medium-size
businesses from Catalonia to try to establish themselves in China. At Barcelona City Council, our
commitment as a public authority is to give them full backing.
Large US, German, French and British multinationals started by operating in the sectors of the Chinese
market in which they were allowed to work. Now the time has arrived for small and medium-sized
companies to do business. Barcelona and Catalonia, whose production base is driven by SMEs, must
therefore play a very important role. 
In China, SMEs now employ 75% of the country’s urban workforce and have become the main driving
force of the Chinese economy. Nevertheless, care must be taken and setting up a company in China
requires a very clear idea of the aim of the investment, the legal restrictions of the country, the situation
of the Chinese market and the network of contacts available.
Barcelona City Council’s Department of Economic Promotion, through the Business Bridges it
organises in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, is to act as a facilitator for companies in the
Barcelona area that wish to operate in overseas markets. 
In the light of the great prospects offered by China, Barcelona wants to continue in its role as Spain’s
main representative of trade relations with this Asian giant. The leadership of Barcelona and Catalonia
is shown by the following facts and figures: 75% of Chinese investment in Spain as a whole is in the
Barcelona area, Catalonia produces 31% of the exports destined for China and receives almost 37%
of Spain’s imports from China. There are therefore plenty of arguments for strengthening these trade,
logistical and cultural links with the Orient.
    
universities. Companies the size of
Microsoft and Lenovo have facilities there.
The leaders of the Catalan mission to
China (second deputy mayor of Barcelona
City Council, Jordi Portabella, and the
President of the Internationalisation
Committee of Barcelona Chamber of
Commerce, Joan Canals) met the vice-
president of the China Council for the
Promotion of International Trade Beijing
Sub Council (CCPIT), who is considered to
be the senior spokesman for Chinese
companies. 
The main event of this business bridge
was a presentation of Barcelona in the
Chinese capital. In the presentation
“Barcelona, the gateway to Europe”, 100
Chinese businesspeople were shown the
advantages of Barcelona as an
international business city. The act also
enabled Catalan companies to exchange
information with Chinese businesspeople
and authorities. 
One of the most useful meetings on the
political agenda in the Chinese capital was
the meeting at the Council of Beijing
between the deputy mayor of the city, Lu
Hao, and Barcelona City Council’s second
deputy mayor, Jordi Portabella. The
meeting produced an agreement to
establish five committees, made up of
technicians and specialists from both
cities, that would combine their efforts and
exchange experiences regarding tourism,
logistics, business, trade fairs and
congresses, technology parks and zoos.
Likewise, the political leaders expressed
an interest in collecting information on
how Barcelona made the most of the
Olympics to project itself in the world and
export its potential for tourism. 
4
barcelona in the world 
Last February, the Barcelona Chamber of
Commerce and Barcelona City Council
organised a fourth Business Bridge. This
time the destination for the business and
the authorities was Beijing, the Chinese
capital. The delegation comprised of a
record number of participants and
included around thirty companies, which
were representative of very important
sectors for Catalonia’s economy such as
food and drink, tourism, training, textiles
and technology. 
One of the first joint acts of Barcelona City
Council and the Chamber of Commerce
delegation was to visit China’s largest
technology park, Beijing’s Zhongguancun
Park. This concentration of industry and
knowledge has a perimeter ring that
measures some 300 sq. km and a specific
area known as the “Incubator”, which is
geared to the research and development
of advanced technologies. 
Of China’s 53 technology parks, this was
the first to be established 20 years ago
and is considered to be China’s Silicon
Valley. Zhongguancun has a resident
population of two and a half million
people who live in several population
nuclei within the park area. The
400,000 people who work there include
teachers, researchers, engineers and
scientists. In total there are over a
hundred research institutions, 6,000
high technology companies and 
around fifty schools of higher education,
from which 100,000 students qualify
each year. 
The visit provided first-hand information
on the characteristics of this important
focus of knowledge, which is home not
only to high-tech research and
development industries but also to several
university centres. These provide a direct
connection between business and
barcelona and china strengthen ties 
guangzhou, birthplace of china’s business and industry 
Barcelona City Council’s delegation also visited Guangzhou, China’s third largest
city and capital of Guangdong province, the country’s richest region.
In Guangzhou, China’s first commercial port and one of the world’s oldest, Jordi
Portabella made contact with the city’s deputy mayor, Chen Mingde. The
conversations led to an exchange in the area of cuisine. It was agreed that the
2005-2006 Year of Cuisine to be held in Barcelona would feature a week devoted
to Cantonese cuisine. Barcelona and Mediterranean cuisine were meanwhile
invited to take part in the forthcoming Guangzhou International Fair. The interview
between the two city leaders led to the establishment of three working parties to
collaborate in the areas of food and drink, tourism and fashion. 
Outside the political agenda, Barcelona City Council’s second deputy mayor, in
representation of the Air Route Development Committee (which not only features
Barcelona City Council but also the Government of Catalonia, the Chamber of
Commerce and AENA) was received by the international marketing director of
China Southern airline. This contact was part of a round of talks that are being held
with the Chinese airline to establish a direct flight between Barcelona and China.
China Southern directors therefore plan to visit Barcelona soon to take a look on
site at the economic potential and infrastructures of Barcelona. 
     
5and with the TDC (Trade Development
Council), one of the city’s most
important employers’ representatives.
The logistics capacity and the potential
for tourism and design of Barcelona were
explained in the interviews.
At the meeting with the TDC, second
deputy mayor, Jordi Portabella, and the
executive director of the Hong Kong
Trade Development Council, Alan Wong,
signed a framework agreement to
develop the two cities’ areas of
economic interest. In this agreement
both councils offered mutual support
and agreed to provide backing for
companies and professionals who wish
to invest or do business in their
respective cities.
A presentation entitled “Barcelona, the
gateway to Europe” given at the head
offices of Hong Kong’s TDC (Trade
Development Council) revealed the
advantages of Barcelona as a destination
for inward investment. Participants at the
presentation explained the logistical,
business, tourist and other aspects that
make Barcelona an unbeatable city for
business in Europe. 
DOGI’s second factory in china
At the presentation of Barcelona in Beijing, second deputy mayor, Jordi Portabella,
announced the construction of a new production plant of the Catalan textile company
DOGI in the Chinese city of Nanjing.
DOGI’s second factory in China is part of the Catalan multinational’s strategic plan
to increase its production capacity in Asia to 13 million metres of fabric by 2008.
DOGI INTERNATIONAL FABRICS, a company headed by Josep Domènech, was
founded in 1954 and works in the design, production and commercialisation of
high value added elastic fabric for the underwear, sports and bathing segments. In
addition to factories in El Masnou (El Maresme) and Cardedeu (Vallès Oriental), the
company also has factories in China, the Philippines, Thailand and Germany. It
also has sales offices in Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, the United
States, Mexico and France. 
barcelona in the world 
hong kong: where the future is now 
300 hong kong
employers take
an interest in
barcelona 
One of the first contacts with the “New
York” of China was with Cyberport, a
new technology park concept that is
aimed at making Hong Kong the world
paradigm for IT technologies. 
Cyberport covers an area of 24 ha and is
home to over 100 leading IT and R+D
companies and more than 10,000 sector
professionals. It has a residential area
with 2,900 residential units that will be
developed from 2004 to 2007. The Park
is to provide support to the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region’s new
technologies and R+D development
policies.
During the stay in Hong Kong, political
and economic contacts were also
established with both the Department of
Economic Development and Employment
of the Hong Kong Municipal Government
Presentation of Barcelona in Hong Kong
Alan Wong, executive deputy director, and
Jordi Portabella
      
Four multinational companies (CEI-
Network from the USA, in the automobile
sector; the Swiss biomedicine company
MEDELA AG, the US firm COMPUTER
ASSOCIATES and the French company
AP PLUS IBÈRICA, both of which work
in Information Technologies) are setting
up in the Barcelona area. This will
involve investments of over sixteen
million euros in the next five years and
the creation of over 300 jobs. 
These are just some of the foreign
investments that have started to appear in
2005 in Barcelona as a result of intense
negotiation in which Barcelona City
Council’s Department of Economic
Promotion has taken an active role.
The company CEI-Network, a risk
management company for large fleets of
vehicles, is to invest three million euros in
two years and create 250 jobs. Likewise,
MEDELA AG (which is present in the
Iberian peninsula market through an
independent distributor) has chosen
Barcelona as the site for its head office.
Its location -near the 22@ district- will
lead to the creation of a distribution
network for its products and jobs for
around twenty workers. MEDELA AG’s
business is focused on the design,
production and distribution of biomedical
products for paediatric use. Its most
successful products include breastfeeding
apparatuses, control and hygiene
accessories and phototherapy systems for
maternity units in children’s hospitals all
over the world. Barcelona City Council
particularly appreciates the arrival of this
company in the biomedicine sector as it
enhances the project to create a
biomedicine cluster in the environs of the
city: the Catalan bioregion. 
C O M P U T E R
ASSOCIATES is a
software and IT
solutions company
that is to invest 3 to 4 million euros in five
years. Its presence will lead to the
creation of 40 jobs. The company AP
PLUS IBÈRICA, which makes parts for
computer assembly and specialises in
industrial software, will also invest 9
million euros in five years.
All these factories add slightly to the
growth in the number of service
companies that supply other companies,
many of which are in the industrial sector.
According to Jordi Portabella, Chairman
of Barcelona City Council’s Committee of
Economic Promotion, “this is a
phenomenon that has been happening in
the Barcelona area in recent years and
breaks away from the traditional notion of
three different sectors of business activity:
primary or agriculture, secondary or
industry and tertiary or services”.
Portabella stresses that “these are
activities that were once part of
companies’ production chains but are now
outsourced and are therefore often
activities of an industrial kind that are
now performed in the service sector”.
The latest report on inward investment by
Barcelona City Council and the
Government of Catalonia shows that 
the countries with most corporate
headquarters in Barcelona and its
surrounding area are the United States,
France, Holland and Germany. 
In recent months, however, there has been
a growing number of Chinese companies
that are opening sales offices in Barcelona.
These are modest investments, ranging
from 100,000 to 600,000 euros, but
show an increase in the presence of
companies from China. They include
RELMER SYSTEMS SL, in the IT sector,
and NOPEL INTERNATIONAL SL, GLOBO
ORO INTERNATIONAL SL, SINORICH
INTERNATION TRADE DEVELOPMENT SL
and TOP FASHION ACCESORIES SL, all
four of which work in imports and exports,
and lastly, the cultural office of CULTURA
y DEPORTE CHINA ESPAÑA SL.
Joan Clos, Sergio Chiamparini and Gerard Collomb, the respective mayors of Barcelona,
Turin and Lyon signed a three-year economic co-operation agreement to establish a
lobby group and therefore boost the high speed train connections and strengthen the
role of these three cities as an economic axis and gateway to the south of Europe.
While at the World Conference of Mayors for Peace in the Middle East, this lobby
lobbied for progress in the new Turin-Lyon railway project across the Alps and the
high-speed link from Nimes to the international Perpignan-Figueres section that is
now under construction.
The co-operation agreement signed also included improvements in university co-
operation and among business organisations such as chambers of commerce.
Furthermore, Barcelona agreed to host the Second World Conference of Mayors for
Peace in the Middle East, which will be held in November 2005 and will coincide with
the European Mediterranean Conference.
6
barcelona in the world 
barcelona, turin and lyon, together
for the high speed connection 
barcelona companies
foreign investment
grows in strategic
sectors 
            
7APPLUS+, part of the AGBAR
group, expands its business 
The company
A P P LU S + ,
subsidiary of
Aigües de Barcelona, has purchased
the Quality and Environment division of
the company SOLUZIONA. This
operation, which will lead to the
creation of the largest inspection,
certification and technological services
group in Spain, will be called
APPLUS+, Qualitat i Medi Ambient. 
It has been predicted that the new
company, in which APPLUS+ will have
a 75% holding, will have a turnover of
400 million euros and growth of 25% is
expected for 2005. Unión Fenosa, owner
of SOLUZIONA, will hold the remaining
25%, a percentage that may be
increased to 28%.
APPLUS+ is a multinational company
that works in different sectors (the
automotive industry, construction, food
and agriculture, aeronautics, the naval
sector, iron and steel, petrochemicals,
metallurgy, technology and the
environment) and on a large number of
international markets. The company has
a workforce of over 3,000 professionals
in 16 different countries. 
lüscher iberia establishes itself
in barcelona
Strong growth
in technological
innovation in
Barcelona and the metropolitan area is
the main reason behind the decision of
the Swiss company Lüscher, leader in
manufacturing digital apparatuses, to set
up a subsidiary (Lüscher Iberia) in
Cardedeu (Vallès Oriental). 
The Swiss firm has over fifty years’
experience and is extremely specialised
in the design and manufacture of
electronic equipment for digital prepress.
Its international prestige is not only the
result of the high quality and the
simplicity of its products, but also
because it is a pioneer in the use of CtP
technology (computer-to-plate system),
which consists in passing digital
information directly onto the printing
plate. This operation produces better
reproductions of details in images.
Because of the economic competitiveness
and innovative design of Lüscher
yamaha pledges commitment to barcelona with further
investments
Yamaha Motor España, part of the Yamaha Motor
Company group, manufactures mopeds and
motorcycles. Last year it reached the figure of one
million units that have been manufactured in Spain since 1981, when the company
established itself in the Palau-Solità i Plegamans area of Barcelona. Yamaha has
therefore shown increasing commitment to the Barcelona factory and has decided to
invest 22 million euros over the next three years to create new motorcycle models.
The Japanese group, which arrived in Barcelona in
1981, employed an average of 442 workers in 2004
and had a turnover of 318 million euros. This plant has
now manufactured over one million units. 75% of these
are exported while the remaining 25% are sold in the
local market.
The company closed 2004 with a production figure of
90,000 units, a 16% increase on the previous year.
According to the CEO of Yamaha Motor España, Jorge
Lasheras, company expectations are favourable despite
strong competition from China and India. As with other
brands, new legislation, which allows 125 cc
motorcycles to be ridden by B license holders with three
years’ experience, has caused sales in the sector to
rocket. The company was thus able to consolidate its
production volume in 2004 and will boost
manufacturing in the Barcelona plant in 2005.
nissan-barcelona is to
manufacture two new 
nissan models 
The Nissan Motor
Ibérica plant in
Barcelona not only
recently started
production of the
new Pathfinder four-wheel drive in
February, but it has also just received the
news that it has been chosen to
manufacture two new models of the
Japanese brand.
From the beginning of March, Nissan will
start production of the new Navara pick-
up and the Zaroot Sport Utility Vehicle.
Nissan Europe’s deputy chairman of
manufacture, Colin Dodge, gave the news,
which has reassured the trade unions in
the company who were concerned about
the possible relocation to Thailand of
some of the models assigned to the
Catalonia plant.
products, the company has been able to
sign contracts in zones and countries
such as Russia, Eastern Europe,
Australia, South America and the United
States. As a result of these contracts the
company needs to expand both its
workforce and its facilities. With these
contracts the Lüscher brothers are
predicting sales of around six million
euros this year.
In November last year, Nissan announced
investments of 400 million euros in
Catalonia for the manufacture of new
vehicles.
The award of this project to Nissan’s
Catalan factory will ensure that the 790
workers will keep their jobs and will create
23 new jobs. The company’s aim is to
gradually increase production of these
new models.
          
8Barcelona will be home to the new headquarters of the European Observatory of
Biotechnology (OEB), the result of a Spanish-Belgian initiative.
The European Observatory of Biotechnology will observe changes and trends in this
multidisciplinary sector that covers health and life science-related research and
technology. The new observatory is a private initiative that will undertake independent
studies for the public authorities. It also plans to carry out training, education,
documentation and mediation projects. 
The OEB will start operating in Barcelona with four members although the team is
expected to grow gradually. The Observatory is independent from the European
Federation of Biotechnology, although they will both operate from the same geographical
base: the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB) has also decided to move its
headquarters from Holland to Barcelona. 
This organisation includes over 200 institutions and 4,200 members, both in Europe
and other countries.
the catalan bioregion will
include 120 companies in 
10 years
Catalonia, with Barcelona at its
forefront, is firmly committed to the
future and is now embarking on what
other advanced countries have shown to
be a crucial factor of growth in their
economic development strategies: a
Catalan biocluster. The objective of this
project is to turn this concentration of
biotechnology companies into a
benchmark for southern Europe. The
Catalan project is geared to clinical
medicine and is expected to prompt
venture capital investments of 200
million euros between now and 2010.
The Bioregion is to be established in
the Barcelona 22@ technology district
as a foundation with mixed public-
private capital. According to CIRIT
(Interdepartmental Committee for
Technological Research and Innovation)
sources, it will initially be geared to
clinical medicine and will focus on
hepatology, neuroscience and oncology.
The project will be organised into three
core geographical and research areas.
The first area will be in the city of
Barcelona and will specialise in clinical
medicine. The main participants will be
the University of Barcelona (represented
by Hospital Clínic and Bellvitge
Hospital), the CSIC (the Barcelona
Institute of Molecular Biology and the
Barcelona Institute of Biomedical
Research), the Pompeu Fabra University
and the Technical University of
Catalonia (UPC).
The second core area is the hinterland of
the city and the Barcelona metropolitan
area. The main participant is the
Autonomous University of Barcelona
(UAB), which will focus on research with
transgenic animals and the application of
biomedical research in diabetes. 
Barcelona’s Regenerative Medicine Centre will perform research into embryonic stem cells
for the production of cardiac tissue. This will be one of the main lines of work of the team
headed by Juan Carlos Izpisúa, which will work in collaboration with British researcher
and cardiologist Kenneth R. Chien, from  Harvard University in the United States. 
This project, in which the Salk Institute from San Diego in California will also take part,
arose from the research of Kenneth R. Chien who identified, in humans, a group of
cardiac stem cells with properties that were completely different from other cardiac stem
cells. These remarkable cardiac cells may be reproduced without losing their properties.
These cells may eventually be used as biological pacemakers. 
barcelona bioregion
the biotechnology industry recognises barcelona as 
a benchmark for europe in the sector 
The third core area includes all Catalonia,
its universities and the Institute for Food
and Agricultural Research and Technology
(IRTA).
The Bioregion project will involve the
creation of 3,000 jobs by 2015, half of
which will be created in the next five
years, and 120 new companies.
Approximately twelve new companies will
be established per year (four for each area
of action). Much biotechnological
business will come from spin-offs from
universities, hospitals and pharmaceutical
companies.
Some time ago, Barcelona City Council
detected a need to co-ordinate this
biomedicine sector. In 2002 it was
involved in establishing the Biomedical
Research Park of Barcelona Foundation
(PRBB). The PRBB became one of the
pillars of the Barcelona Biomedical
Alliance, which is considered to be the
Catalan Bioregion in its initial stage.
barcelona is to perform stem cell
research to create cardiac tissue 
       
9The Barcelona Institute of Biomedical Research (IRBB) is to set up a line of research
into metastases that will be headed by Catalan scientist Joan Massagué, winner of the
Prince of Asturias award in 2004. The Government of Catalonia has agreed to invest 28
million euros over four years to back the Massagué project. This fund will be added to
the IRBB’s current budget.
The Barcelona Institute of Biomedical Research, in the Barcelona Science Park, will add
this research programme to the four it is already working on and plans to set up four
specific laboratories to study metastases. These laboratories will be linked directly to the
Sloan-Kettering Institute in New York, where Joan Massagué heads a cancer biology and
genetics programme. 
Massagué emphasises the importance of progress in metastasis research as this
phenomenon causes 90% of cancer deaths. The minister for Universities, Research and
the Information Society, Carles Solà, stressed that this project is an essential part of the
development of the Catalan Bioregion. 
Solà also announced that the Government of Catalonia will give an economic incentive
to young researchers who finish their doctorate in the pre-established time and will offer
them a six-month contract. According to the minister, the number of researchers who
finish their doctorate within the established term is only 40% of the total. 
The Executive Committee of the
Government of Catalonia has approved
the Research and Innovation Plan (PRI),
which will mean a rise in the number of
researchers and encourage technology
parks in Catalonia in the next four years.
This project will lead to co-ordinated
collaboration among companies and
universities and will give priority to
strategic lines of research such as
biomedicine, aeronautics, food and
agricultural technology, the environment,
nanotechnology and telecommunications
engineering.
Forecasts indicate that research and
development may reach 2.1% of Gross
Domestic Product, compared to 1.38% in
2003. This may rise to 5.2% if innovation
is included. To meet these objectives, the
Department of Universities, Research and
the Information Society estimates show
that the private sector must contribute
some 7,500 million euros to research and
innovation. In addition to the Government
Plan, investments also include 800 million
euros assigned to university research and
400 million euros that will be invested in
the scientific development of the
Department of Health. As a measure of
support, the Plan includes tax incentive
programmes, encourages doctorates in
business and provides assistance to the
science parks.
Insofar as infrastructures and research
centres are concerned, existing centres
will be consolidated and new centres will
be encouraged. The latter include the
Mare Nostrum (the supercomputer of the
Technical University) and El Vallès
synchrotron. Both of these involve
collaboration with the Government of
Spain. In order to co-ordinate these
initiatives, a registry of the different
research structures in Catalonia is to be
created.
barcelona bioregion
barcelona to host
a metastasis
research project 
growth in the area and activities of barcelona science park 
The Barcelona Science Park (PCB), a key part of the project to turn Barcelona into a
great capital of biomedical research, is to triple its area over the next four years. The
centre will thus have an area of approximately 85,000 sq. metres by 2008.
Expansion will mean the activities done there can be increased and strengthened and
more staff can be taken on. It will also attract new companies that want to make the
most of the Park’s success. 
Although the PCB’s priority areas are currently biomedicine and nanotechnology, the
extension of the area and the centre’s research groups will lead to new areas of
specialisation and new business projects. In short, it will provide pharmaceutical
companies with an incentive to play a more important role in research.
The Government of Catalonia guarantees that this project will provide opportunities
and is thus investing 9 million euros. It does, however, expect the private sector and
the number of companies involved to increase considerably.
860 million 
euros for new
researchers 
     
10
The Government of Catalonia is to create
9 technology centres to assist companies
in improving their development and
research processes. Although the aim is to
transfer these centres to the private sector,
the Government of Catalonia will initially
invest 46 million euros by 2007. It is
generally considered that these centres
will work better if they are privately
managed by the interested companies.
These nine centres will join the five
existing ones. The most significant are the
Centre for Aeronautics and Space (to be
located in Castelldefels), the Chemistry
Technology Centre (on the industrial
estate in Tarragona), the Centre for
Automotive Technology (in the Baix
Llobregat), and the Audio-visual Centre,
which will be established in Barcelona.
Endoalpha, in
Hospital Clínic,
is Europe’s most
modern operating
theatre and the result of the hospital’s
collaboration with engineers from the
Japanese firm Olympus, specialists in
image technology.
The new operating theatre will be visited
by over 72 surgeons from all over the
world who will come to discover the new
facility and train in the type of surgery
for which it is designed. Its advanced
features include a button that prepares
all the material necessary for operating,
according to surgery type, information
on equipment condition, a warning in
the event of error and proposals for
solutions. It also has swinging arms that
hang from the ceiling (thus removing
cables and ground apparatuse) that help
the movement of medical staff and
subsequent cleaning.
During surgery, surgeons can control all
the apparatuses from a touch-sensitive
screen and reducing the need to move
out of the sterile zone. They may choose
the most suitable lighting type, send
images anywhere in the world on the
Internet or take part in videoconferences
with other colleagues. Furthermore, all
operations performed are automatically
recorded and images, video and reports,
which may be consulted whenever
required, are stored on the database.
This intelligent operating theatre is
particularly suitable for surgery for
colorectal pathology, pelvic base
problems, extreme obesity, and gastric
and oesophagus disorders.
europe’s most intelligent operating
theatre in hospital clínic
barcelona bioregion
catalonia is to create 9 technology
centres geared to r+d
The Government of Catalonia’s intention is
to position these new centres throughout
Catalonia to ensure territorial balance. It
will therefore be much easier to promote
the Bioindustrial Ring, which will
complement the Bioregion. This Ring will
include three technology centres, one of
which will be in Monells (Baix Empordà),
another in Reus (Baix Camp), and another
in Lleida. 
The Government of Catalonia and
collaborating companies hope this
initiative will encourage other companies
to invest in R+D and thus achieve the
goal established at the Lisbon summit: to
assign 5.2% of Catalonia’s GDP to
research and development.
    
11
The Zona Franca Consortium (CZF) and municipal company 22@bcn
have reached an agreement to run three large projects in the 22@
district. One is geared to universities, another is aimed at the creation
of companies and the last is focused on the audio-visual sector.
The CZF plans to invest 24 million euros in developing the
“Emprenedors” building, owned by the Consortium. This building
has an area of over 16,000 sq. metres designated to accommodating newly-established
companies, most of which are technology-based. The Consortium will operate leases
exclusively for a minimum period of 30 years. When this period has lapsed, the
agreement will not be renewed and the building will become Barcelona City Council
property. Construction on this incubator is planned for 2006.
The “Emprenedors” building will provide the necessary conditions for the 22@ district
to attract young entrepreneurs and will become a reference point for the creation of new
companies. The municipal company Barcelona Activa may be assigned to manage this
complex. It is eventually intended that the initiatives arising from the incubators will go
on to join the companies established in the 22@ district.
Barcelona Activa already manages two business incubators. One is in Carrer Llacuna
and includes over 50 companies (on an area of 3,600 sq. metres), which may remain
on these premises for a maximum period of 36 months. The second is at the “Fòrum
Nord de les Tecnologies”, on Carrer Marie Curie, where 46 companies occupy an area
of 10,000 sq. metres.
barcelona 22@
the zona franca consortium, the city’s
economic driving force
El Corte
Inglés has
opened its
new IT
centre for the public authorities in the
22@ district. It has 287 workers and a
turnover of over 60 million euros and
collaborates in authority economic
management and IT systems by means of
the SAP R3 integrated management
package. This new centre has designed
specific models for the autonomous
governments of the communities of
Aragon, Asturias, the Balearic Islands,
Castille-León, Castille-La Mancha, Murcia
and Navarre. Its clients also include the
councils of Madrid and Barcelona, the
Technical University of Catalonia (UPC)
and the Ministries of the Environment and
the Interior.
Barcelona was chosen as the site for this
centre because the group that started the
project was set up in Barcelona in 1999.
In addition, the proximity of the
company’s first clients and the availability
of physical space owned by the group in
the 22@ district were crucial factors in
the location of this division in the city.
the IT division of el corte inglés in the 22@ district
auna: r+d+i centre in the 22@ district
Auna, Spain’s second largest telecommunications group,
plans to set up its new centre of research, development and
innovation in Barcelona’s 22@ technology district. This
new centre will develop global solutions for all the group’s
customers. These solutions will be focused on defining convergence strategy for fixed
and mobile telephony. 
The centre, which will begin operating at the start of the year, will have over 100
workers and Auna’s investment will amount to 15 million euros.
The IT department of El Corte Inglés
provides consultancy on services and
technological infrastructures, which
provide the IT technologies to increase
productivity and improve the quality of
their services. The distribution group’s
turnover last year amounted to 905
million euros. The group forecasts a 10%
growth in sales in 2005. 
      
12
montblanc moves to the 
22@ district
The luxury
a r t i c l e s
c o m p a n y
Montblanc,
a subsidiary
of Richemont, is to establish its head
offices in a building in Barcelona’s 22@
district at the intersection of Carrer Fluvià
and Carrer Llull.
The company, for which Aguirre Newman
acts as consultant, has rented an area of
real estate agent inbisa builds
offices in the 22@ district
The Basque real estate group Inbisa is
to invest 36 million euros in a new
barcelona trade fairs and congresses
convention tourism prefers barcelona
barcelona establishes its position as the world city that holds
the seventh highest number of international congresses 
Barcelona is one of business tourism’s
favourite destinations. Each year, over
1,500,000 people come to the city on
business. In 10 years, the city has gone
from holding 373 meetings and
conventions to over 1,300 international
meetings.
According to the study by International
Tourism Consulting Group presented at
the Exhibition for the Incentive,
Business Travel and Meetings Industry
(EIBTM), business trips account for 14%
of all journeys made to Barcelona from
the rest Europe. One of the main
appeals of Barcelona for business
travellers is the competitive cost of
services required by this segment.
According to data from Barcelona’s
Department of Tourism and Economic
Promotion, 55% of visitors who came to
the city in 2003 did so on business,
while 45% came on holiday.
According to data from the Union of
International Associations (UIA),
Barcelona held the seventh highest
number of international congresses in
2004, more than New York and Berlin. As
a host city for international congresses,
Barcelona has jumped from 25th to 7th
position. The city’s position is expected 
to rise. 
There are three reasons for these optimistic
forecasts. First, the Forum of Cultures has
hosted numerous world conferences.
Second, Barcelona now has the new
Barcelona International Convention Centre.
Lastly, some 20,000 international
interviews and work meetings were held at
the Exhibition for the Incentive, Business
Travel and Meetings Industry (EIBTM), held
in December 2004.
In 2004, international conventions in
Barcelona attracted some 325,000
barcelona 22@
conference delegates and average stays
reached 4.2 nights (double that of other
visitors). The sector is estimated to have
earned 620 million euros.
The EIBTM exhibition brings together
public and private organisations that
promote tourism, hotel chains and
passenger carriers. The EIBTM exhibition
gathered directors of some 2,000
companies in the sector and over 5,000
attendees in an area of 11.000 sq.
metres.
Cities that compete directly with
Barcelona on price are Berlin, Vienna and
Prague. Prices in the city are 24% lower
than the European average. This makes
the city a very affordable and attractive
destination for companies that organise
congresses in Europe.
1,727 sq. metres in a building developed
by the Catalan real estate agency Kanda.
The building is next to a 7,600 sq.
metres complex.
To date, Montblanc’s head office was in
Barcelona’s Carrer Lepant. The move to
the 22@ district is planned for May.
office complex in this area and has
therefore bought a 2,427 sq. metres
plot. The company plans to start the
project at the end of the year with the
construction of a 11,492 sq. metres
office building and an underground
area of 4,852 sq. metres for 180 car
parking spaces on two underground
floors.
This project will involve an investment of
36 million euros. Completion of work is
planned for September 2007.
        
13
barcelona trade fairs and congresses
the underground line l2 is to link the two trade fair areas
young fashion at the fira de barcelona
The extension of line L2 of the
underground from the station of Sant
Antoni -which will connect Fira 1 (in
Plaça d’Espanya) and Fira 2 (in
L’Hospitalet)- will require an investment
of 414 million euros. The project, which
will last for 4 years, will start at the end
of 2006 and will involve a 5.2-kilometre
extension to the line. According to the
Ministry of Town and Country Planning
and Public Works, the two “Fira de
Barcelona” exhibition sites will be
barcelona is to hold the 3GSM mobile communications congress 
From next year onwards, the most important event in mobile communications is to
be held in Barcelona. This is the 3GSM World Congress that has been held in the
French city of Cannes for the last ten years. Increasing attendance and growing
demands by exhibitors have made it necessary to move the congress from Cannes to
another city that is capable of dealing with 3GSM’s success. Fira de Barcelona offers
nearly twice the space available in Cannes. The congress will therefore be able to
welcome up to 40,000 visitors.
The 2004 congress, the 3GSM World Congress, was attended by over 600 exhibitors,
28,000 visitors, 4,600 conference delegates and nearly a thousand journalists.
The GSMA (GSM Association) is a professional association that represents mobile
telephony operators from over 200 countries. Its aim is to promote and defend the
interests of GSM operators in the world. 
The Bread & Butter tradeshow, considered the best international platform for young,
modern fashion, will be held at the Fira de Barcelona site in Barcelona from 8 to 10 July.
Bread & Butter, which to date has been held six times, has become the best
international marketing and communication platform for the culture of modern fashion.
This tradeshow is aimed at a young public with a high purchasing power. Well-known
Spanish brands such as Pepe Jeans, Desigual, Camper, Custo Barcelona, Cimarrón,
Lois, Pachá, Habit, Kowalski and Muchacha have taken part at the previous fairs.
Since the fourth tradeshow, the event has been held twice a year in Berlin (January
and June). The Barcelona tradeshow will have an area of 9,000 sq. metres, 50%
more space than that available in the German capital. Each Bread & Butter tradeshow
will be organised in a different European city to make it more international.
Barcelona fashion market’s characteristics and the city’s potential were key factors
in the choice of Barcelona as the first city on the tradeshow’s international route.
Sectors exhibited include streetwear, casual or sports clothes, designer fashion,
haute couture and footwear.
connected by a line with five new
stations that will serve over 15,500,000
passengers per year (some 42,000 users
every day).
The project will include the construction
of five new stations: Poble Sec, Fira 1, the
National Art Museum of Catalonia
(MNAC), the National Institute for
Physical Education (Inefc) and Foc Cisell.
This last station will be linked to a branch
of L9 running to the Zona Franca and Fira
2. The Foc Cisell station will be located in
the Fira 2 exhibition site and will be
connected to the airport line and the city
Gran Via 2 extension project
centre by Line 9. Building a monorail for
the Fira has not been ruled out.
In addition to this project, the Ministry of
Town and Country Planning and Public
Works intends to sign an agreement with
Railway Infrastructures of Catalonia (Ifercat)
and Fira 2000 for the construction of two
tunnels. One of these will be built between
the future stations on Line 9 and Line 2 at
the Fira; the other will connect the
underground stations at the Fira 2 exhibition
site in L’Hospitalet. It will therefore be
possible to go from one site to the other
without having to leave the underground. 
Image granted by Cimarron.
Spring - Summer 03 Collection
    
14
barcelona port
2004, a good
year for the port
of barcelona
The Port of Barcelona closed 2004 with a
total volume of goods traffic of
40,400,000 tonnes, two million more
than its main rival, the Port of Valencia.
However, container traffic in Barcelona
was lower. 
The Taiwanese company ASUS has
established its Spanish head office in
the Zona Franca. This makes the Port
of Barcelona one of the Iberian
peninsula’s main logistics points.
the port of barcelona, a new
general supply centre
The Government of Catalonia’s Ministry of
Town and Country Planning and Public
Works has published a study on the future
road link from the port to Barcelona
airport. This infrastructure (known as the
Delta Plan), which is featured in an
agreement between the Spanish
Government, the Government of Catalonia
and affected councils, is to be the main
axis for goods transport. It will improve
connections between the city’s large
infrastructures. 
The road, which will cost some 15 
million euros, will reach El Prat and be
approximately two kilometres long. 
Strong growth in maritime traffic from Asia has forced the port authorities to
improve and increase transport leaving Barcelona. Barcelona’s proximity to the
Suez Canal places it in an enviable location for distributing goods from Asia. The
only drawback that could hinder these projects is the lack of an efficient railway
system that connects with the rest of Europe.
Unfortunately, this company has not established itself in Barcelona to produce, but has
only come to distribute. Relocation therefore turns Europe’s main ports, including
Barcelona, into large supply centres.
In 2004, for the second year running, ASUS was chosen as the highest-value IT
manufacturing brand. It has been valued at some 820 million US dollars, and is one
of the five leading brands in laptop computer sales and one of the ten highest-
producing companies. The brand is particularly strong in Taiwan, where 70% of the
world’s laptops are produced.
road link from the port to the airport 
Nevertheless, according to figures provided
by the Barcelona Port Authority (APB), the
Port of Barcelona completed last year with
an increase of 14% on 2003, both in traffic
volume and container numbers. These data
place Barcelona as Spain’s second largest
port after Algeciras (in Cadiz region). 
2004 was also good for profits, which grew
by 25% to 30% on the previous year. 
Asian countries such as China and
Japan have strengthened their ties with
the Port of Barcelona most. Goods from
these countries increased by 25%.
Traffic with countries in Europe, the
Mediterranean area and the Middle East
also grew by 18%.
The balance also proved positive for
passenger numbers. Last year, 1,950,000
people passed through the Port of
Barcelona, 4% more than in 2003. 
A breakdown of the overall figure shows
there were 950,000 users of the regular
lines, which link Barcelona to the Balearic
Islands and to the Italian ports of Genoa
and Civitavecchia (Rome), and one million
cruiser passengers. 
In 2004, there was a 15.7% increase on
2003 in regular line passengers, while
the number of cruiser passengers
remained stable.
      
15
Improving the movement and transport of
goods is a priority for the Barcelona Port
Authority. Only 4% of the goods that arrive
in the Port of Barcelona currently leave by
rail. According to Port of Barcelona
management, the increase in loading and
unloading area, which will take place at
the same time as work to enlarge the Port,
will require substantial improvements
both in the movement of goods and in
road and railway accesses. According to
the studies, when it has been enlarged,
the volume of traffic generated by the port
will be between two and five times greater
than current levels. 
This summer, the luxury
transatlantic liner, Queen
Mary 2, the world’s largest
vessel, will sail the Barcelona-New York
route for the first time. It will depart from
New York on 9 August and the voyage will
last 10 days. It sails uninterruptedly until
15, when the liner makes a stopover in
Southampton (England). Then it stops off in
Vigo and finally arrives in Barcelona on 19
August. Tickets for the voyage will cost a
minimum of 2,389 euros for an outer cabin
and must be paid for in advance.
The return journey starts in Barcelona and
will last 14 days, with stopovers in Cannes
(France), Livorno and Civitavecchia (Italy),
Gibraltar, Lisbon and Southampton before
the liner sails on to New York. The
minimum price per ticket is 3,209 euros
and includes full board.
The company that manages Queen Mary 2,
Cunard España, has chosen Barcelona for
its new transatlantic route because it is the
Mediterranean’s most fashionable port in
the cruise sector.
barcelona port 
railway access is a priority for the 
port’s directors  
barcelona and
new york, linked
by queen mary 2
The agreement reached by the APB, the
Government of Catalonia, Barcelona City
Council and different financial institutions
will involve the implementation of a port
access road and railway plan to ensure
that in 15 years’ time, there will be
infrastructures that can absorb the port’s
volume of traffic. This Plan features a
European track width connection that will
be exclusively for goods. 
    
16
Nine Catalan
companies have
been involved
in the design of the Airbus A380 Super
Jumbo airliner. The order reached
Catalonia through the subsidiary Airbus
España. Involvement of Catalan
companies in the construction of the
A380 is more important qualitatively
than quantitatively as work will be geared
more to design than to manufacturing. 
The Ministry of Employment and Industry
states that although it is very difficult for
Catalonia to be given contracts to
manufacture aeroplane parts, those
Catalan companies that have been given
A380 orders will earn up to 30 million
euros for their work.
In Spain as a whole, around 6,000
people will work directly or indirectly on
barcelona takes off
catalan involvement in airbus 380 
From 17 May, the airline US Airways will start a new
daily flight direct between Barcelona and Philadelphia. A
Boeing 767-200 with a capacity for 199 passengers will
be used for this new route.
Philadelphia is the 4th largest metropolitan area in the United States and its airport
is one of the country’s main distribution hubs. Passengers on this new route will
therefore be able to take connecting flights to over a hundred cities in the United
States and 20 destinations in Canada and the Caribbean.
This route will give Barcelona Airport a new direct flight to the United States, in
addition to the flights Delta Airlines already operates to New York throughout the year
and to Atlanta in the summer season.
The third runway, which began operating in September 2004, and the new planned
service infrastructures have enabled Barcelona Airport to increase its capacity. This
has, in turn, provided for the growth in operations and the establishment of new
companies and new routes such as the flight to Philadelphia.
barcelona- philadelphia, closer together
manufacturing Airbus A380 units by
2008. It is calculated that by this date,
full production of the Super Jumbo will
be underway. According to the chairman
of Airbus España, Manuel Hita-Romero,
one unit will be produced each week.
2,000 people in Spain are currently
involved in the manufacture of the
aeroplane. These people are distributed
between the three plants the company
has in Getafe, Illescas and Puerto Real.
These collaborate with ten auxiliary
companies that perform 38% of
production.
US airways carries over 47 million passengers in 2004
US Airways currently connects 37 states in the USA and flies to 11 European cities,
to the Caribbean and to Canada. It has a fleet of 282 aeroplanes (most of which are
Boeing 737/300) and works on the cargo market through its subsidiaries US Airways
Express and US Airways Shuttle.
Last summer, the Government of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council and Barcelona
Chamber of Commerce established a joint strategy with AENA airport management
on what is known as the Air Route Development Committee.
        
17
The Catalan Agency for the Commercialisation of Technological Research and
Development is to be created in 2005 in order to encourage research teams from
Catalan universities to take greater advantage of the results of work in science and
technology.
The purpose of this agency is to protect intellectual property, to manage patents
produced by universities and to quantify the results of research. It is also to develop
international commercialisation strategies for the findings of the research groups.
This initiative is the result of an agreement among the Government, trade unions and
employers included in the Competitiveness Agreement.
The agency will be managed along the lines of a consortium, whereby the
universities will be involved on a joint basis with the Consortium for the Commercial
Promotion of Catalonia (COPCA). This organisation will look for new markets for
Catalan patents through its network of 37 offices world-wide.
Patent development by Catalan universities has been low compared to other
countries. Bureaucracy and difficulties in project funding are barriers researchers
come up against when trying to commercialise their patents. The Government of
Catalonia’s initiative to create this new agency will provide an outlet for all these new
research projects.
According to the Financial Times 2005
ranking of full-time MBA programmes,
ESADE Business School is the eighth best
business school in Europe and the 35th
best in the world. ESADE has jumped 36
places from its 2004 standing in this
world rating and has made a greater leap
than any other business school on this
scale. In Europe too, ESADE has risen
nine positions above its rating the
previous year.
ESADE has also strengthened its position in
two other international rankings: the
BusinessWeek ranking (4th best
international business school outside the
United States) and the Wall Street Journal
ranking (the world’s 3rd best school).
The Financial Times ranking is based on
the MBA students who qualified in 2001,
the year in which ESADE made
barcelona universities
the government of catalonia is to promote catalan
university patents abroad
considerable changes to its full-time MBA
programme in order to introduce a more
rigorous admissions policy.
According to the Financial Times ranking,
ESADE stands out in the “salary increase”
parameter as the second best school in
Europe and comes nineteenth in the
world for potential salary increase. This
latter parameter measures the increase in
the salary of students three years after
they have finished the MBA programme.
This figure has increased by 154% from
2001 to now.
Lastly, it came in 4th position for
international mobility in Europe and 5th
in the world, which shows the school’s
strong international nature. Furthermore,
it came in 3rd place in the world and 2nd
in Europe for “international experience
on the MBA”.
ESADE, europe’s
eighth best
business school 
             
18
When the
D a l m a u
b r o t he r s
entered the fashion world at the start of
the eighties, they did not imagine that
their company, Custo Barcelona, would
be identified so quickly with such an
innovative and original style. However,
their intuition did not let them down
and it was not long before their work
began to attract the attention of stylists
from around the world. Customania was
to become a real phenomenon on every
continent at a breathtaking speed. The
key to success is a different product
with an ingenious style and bright
colours.
To take full advantage of this success,
the company Custo Barcelona has
decided to consolidate and extend its
network of own shops in the largest
cities on each continent.
barcelona fashion
custo barcelona opens more shops
In order to do this, in 2005 it plans 
to open ten more of its own
establishments, most of which will be
abroad. More specifically, the company
(the head offices of which are now in
Prat de Llobregat) has decided to
increase the presence of its designs 
in the United States, where it has its
own shops in Chicago, New York and
Las Vegas. 
In Europe, Custo Barcelona is
particularly interested in England and
Holland and plans to open shops there
through joint companies with local
distributors.
As well as its star product, T-shirts, a
whole series of men’s and women’s
accessories have been added to the new
collection. To publicise the new line,
Custo has organised a fabulous
advertising campaign that strengthens
its position as today’s most up-to-date
fashion company.
In 2004, the turnover of Custo
Barcelona was 74 million euros, a 16%
increase over the previous year. The
company is therefore very optimistic
and, encouraged by the current growth
policy, expects to reach the 82 million
euro mark in 2005.
The UPC’s Engineering Materials Mechanics
and Nanotechnology Group has designed an
X-ray spectrometer that will be used on the
scientific research mission of the European Smart-1 spaceship to the moon.
This group is the only team in Spain involved in this space mission to investigate the
chemical composition of the moon. In conjunction with the European Space Agency and
other groups from Toulouse, it has designed and calibrated a new type of X-ray spectrometer,
which is being built at the Rutherford Appleton laboratories in the United Kingdom.
This new apparatus, known as D-CIXS, detects the presence of
the chemical elements that are characteristic of the moon’s
surface. The results obtained will be combined with
complementary information from the US lunar missions Lunar
Protector and Clementine. The aim of the research is to acquire
knowledge in different fields of lunar science, as it will provide
studies on some of the essential questions about the moon’s
origin and development.
barcelona universities
UPC, a trip to the moon in the european space race 
marlboro classics in barcelona The Italian fashion chain Marzotto has
launched the firm Marlboro Classics in the
Barcelona market. Last December, the
group, which holds the license for the
fashion brand, opened a shop in Barcelona
on Gran Via and Passeig de Gràcia.
All this firm’s shops in Europe have a
similar appearance, which is inspired by
scenes from the American Far West. 
Marzotto also has three brands of its
own: Hugo Boss, Valentino and Uomo
Lebole. On the Spanish market, the
Italian chain only has establishments
of Hugo Boss and Marlboro Classics, a
brand that grew in the nineteen
eighties exclusively as a line of
menswear but in the nineteen nineties
also started targeting women. 
Marzotto’s flagship brand is Hugo
Boss, which accounts for 60% of the
chain’s sales, while Valentino and
Marlboro Classics represent 17%. 
        
19
barcelona, leader in inward
investment in offices 
Barcelona was the favourite city in
Spain for foreign investors who
purchased offices. According to a
report by Jones Lang LaSalle, total
investment in office buildings in
Barcelona amounted to 815 million
euros in 2004. This consultancy
company warns that the sector will
work at “two speeds” in 2005 as
prices will recover in the zones with
most available space, while other areas
(mainly those furthest away from the
centre) will continue to suffer
decreases in income. 
The consultancy firm made this
warning on the basis of developments
in the sector in the first half of 2004, a
period that was characterised by a
decrease in prices, owner flexibility and
moderation in demand.
The conversion of office buildings into
housing accounts for 43% of this 815
million euro investment, while simple
office investment operations make up
the remaining 57% (51% of which
have been performed by international
buyers).
The Barcelona office market increased
by a total of 375,000 sq. metres in
2004. This was a 38.9% increase on
the previous year. Investment and sales
operations increased considerably.
The report also recorded the
consolidation of the zones that future
focal points for business activity: the
22@ district, the Zona Franca, Gran
Via de l’Hospitalet and Diagonal Mar.
the people of barcelona like
shopping in the municipal 
markets 
The Barcelona Municipal Institute of
Markets has issued a study on the use the
people of Barcelona make of the city’s
municipal markets. The results are
extremely favourable as the study shows
that over 57% of those people questioned
said they were regular shoppers in the
markets and they were very satisfied with
the quality of the products bought there
and the treatment they received from
stallholders. Only 21% of interviewees
said they do not shop in the markets for
reasons of convenience, opening times or
because of a lack of time. 
As well, the study disproves the idea that
most shoppers in markets are elderly, as it
shows that although midweek customers
do have a specific profile (people of over
fifty and the unemployed), it is mainly
young people who shop in the markets at
the weekends.
This survey has enabled the Institute’s
chairman, Jordi Portabella, to strengthen
the government’s commitment to
restructuring and renovating Barcelona’s
markets. There are plans to restructure
seven markets during this council’s term
of office: Poblenou, Barceloneta, Sarrià,
Ninot (in L’Eixample), Llibertat (in Gràcia),
Les Corts and Sant Antoni. The envisaged
budget for all this work comes to some 50
million euros, although it does not include
the building of new municipal markets.
la sirena extends its empire
throughout spain
The Terrassa company Congelats Reunits,
better known as La Sirena, has spent the
last year expanding throughout Spain. It
closed 2004 with a turnover of 142
million euros (an 8.3% increase on 
the previous year) and 21 new
establishments: It now has 151. Of these,
only 33 establishments belong to the
chain of franchises and the remaining
sites are the company’s own shops. The
company calculates that approximately
12 million people have visited one of
these points of sale.
Its shops are spread out throughout
Catalonia (in all four regions), Madrid,
Castille-La Mancha, Aragon and Andorra.
The food giant, Agroalimen, which has a
75% holding in the company, wants to
continue its growth and plans to open a
further 35 shops in 2005, particularly in
those areas where it is already present.
This territorial expansion will be helped by
the increase in the range of products 
it wants to offer the public and its 
pricing levels.
new r+d centre in barcelona 
The Catalan multinational Ficosa
Internacional has opened a new research
and development centre in Barcelona.
This is an important step forward as it
will be the group’s new co-ordination
centre for operations world-wide. An
investment of 12 million euros is required
to set it into operation. 
catalan PA systems on the singapore underground 
The Catalan company Optimus has a lot of experience in the communications sector
and has been contracted to design and build the PA system of the new Singapore
underground. The project will involve the installation of some 5,000 speakers in the
40 suburban stations in Singapore. The function of these speakers is to broadcast
emergency warnings, public information and security messages.
It is calculated that the Pla brothers’ company will earn some 800,000 euros from
this work. Because of their international prestige, they are also working on other
projects of different kinds, including the sale of speakers in different countries in the
Middle East and the supply of equipment to the Mara University of Technology
(Malaysia). 
Its secret is a firm commitment to technology.
business notes 
           
1.- Why is China so attractive for Western economies?
Well it’s because of its huge market potential, consumption potential,
and production potential. While most of other markets in the world
are mature and established in the sense that there are few niches to
explore, China offers tremendous market opportunities and the world’s
biggest factory base.
2.- The Chinese government is actively promoting the international
expansion of its national companies abroad. Why?
If a big Chinese company cannot go international, then in long term
it will be difficult to survive. Traditionally, Chinese companies have
been the producers for many western brands through exportation.
However, the key success factors in the global market are about
innovation, branding, and closeness to market. The excessive production
capacity of Chinese firms in certain sectors and the need to be
competitive internationally, means they have go international.
3.- To what extent will Barcelona be able to attract Chinese Direct
Foreign Investment in the future?
Chinese FDI has gone into areas like resource sourcing, R+D and
distribution investments. Whether Barcelona can expect to get a slice
of this FDI cake depends on its own ability to position itself in the
global market. So Barcelona is competing with other big European
cities, which already have established brands in China, like Cologne
in terms of European logistics operations.
4.- What use do you think the business bridge has as a tool for
promoting the city?
Cultural differences can be a huge difficulty when building alliances in
China. Historically Chinese and Barcelonan businesses have had little
contact and this lack of information and contacts can make it very difficult
to do business there. Business missions are good for firms to have initial
contacts. However, sometimes, practitioners feel it is more political than
practical. Good planning, projection, implementation and follow-up are
important to make these missions effective for companies. In Barcelona
most companies are small and medium size, so they really need this strong
institutional support.
5.- What sort of cultural differences should businessmen here be aware
of when doing business with their Chinese counterparts?
As a manager, it is very important to pay attention to the whole cross-
cultural process. Protocol is perhaps the most superficial aspect but
with clear planning, the myth of doing business in China is not that
difficult to break.
6.- What’s the situation with foreign company ownership in
China now?
It is not necessary to enter into a Joint Venture now in most sectors.
You can own a Chinese business in many sectors. In the short
run, China will continue to develop a more stable investment
environment for foreign investment, for instance, by reforming its
financial system.
7.- Western businesses often worry they will lose their know-how
when manufacturing in China. Is that a real problem?
Expertise is not really lost, but there is fear that local partners or
competitors can appropriate “know-how”. That’s why many foreign
companies do keep their essential and core technology skills in
their headquarters. In mass markets, companies need to focus on
their brand awareness to secure their market position; while high
tech based companies need to register patents, carry out continuous
R&D and make their Chinese workers more loyal to secure
investments using “know-how”.
8.- Will we see more exportation to China and what sort of
goods/services will benefit?
Historically China has been importing lots of “high tech” equipment
and machinery and “luxury goods”, compared to Chinese standards
anyway. But Chinese companies and governments are eager to
buy pioneer technology although they still have a long way to go
in terms of learning international management skills.
9.- Barcelona already has receives of the Chinese investment in
Spain? How do you account for this?
Barcelona is one of the most international cities in Spain. Regarding the
2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, lots of parties have visited Barcelona to
learn from the city’s experiences. But in absolute terms this FDI investment
figure is still low and  Barcelona needs to see itself competing not only at
the Spanish level, but rather at the European level.
Finally, Barcelona's tourism sector sees a big chance to attract
Chinese visitors.
Since September 2004, the Chinese can get tourism visas to travel
to most European countries. Brand awareness of Barcelona and Spain
is not that high although many people know Barcelona football club.
But the city has an opportunity to capture markets in China as most
sightseeing packages do not include Spain.
researcher at ESADE business school and consultant in spanish
internationalisation into china, provides the keys to understanding
chinese economic growth and the arrival of foreign investment
in this huge asian market.
interview with
yingying zhang
barcelona:
publisher: Economic Promotion Department
Committee of Economic Promotion,
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good news   winter / spring  2005   nº 33
copyright registration number: X-XXXXX/XXpublished every three months
Economic Promotion