Catalonia has become one of the clearest expressions of the growing economic relationship between Spain and Japan. More than half of the Japanese companies operating in Spain are based in the region, while Catalan exports to Japan surpassed €1 billion for the first time in 2024. The relationship now reaches well beyond trade, taking shape in laboratories, factories, technology centers and research partnerships. Barcelona Chamber of Commerce President Josep Santacreu discusses why Catalonia continues to draw Japanese investment and how businesses on both sides can build on this increasingly substantial relationship.

Bridges: How do you assess the current momentum in Spain-Japan economic relations, and what role can Barcelona and Catalonia play in deepening this partnership in the years ahead?

Santacreu: The current momentum in Spain-Japan economic relations is particularly positive, and Catalonia is well placed to contribute decisively to this new phase of cooperation. The Catalan Government identifies Japan as a priority country for Catalonia and seeks to strengthen institutional, economic, educational, cultural and tourism ties, while also promoting cooperation in areas such as innovation, health, disaster prevention and emergency management.

Within this framework, Barcelona and Catalonia can play a central role as a European platform for Japanese companies and as a bridge for Catalan firms looking to enter or expand in Japan. The Plan’s business line focuses specifically on improving competitiveness, infrastructure and the business environment, strengthening relations with Japanese companies already established in Catalonia, and supporting the internationalization of Catalan companies and start-ups in Japan.

This institutional framework is reinforced by strong trade and investment figures: in 2024, Catalan exports to Japan exceeded €1 billion for the first time, while Japan became Catalonia’s second-largest trading partner in Asia after China. Catalonia plays a key role in economic relations between Spain and Japan, both in terms of trade and in attracting foreign direct investment and concentrates more than 50% of the Japanese enterprises established in Spain. It is clearly a great scenario.

Barcelona has long served as a gateway for international business, innovation and industry. What makes the city and wider Catalonia region especially relevant for Japanese companies looking to grow in Spain and Europe?

Barcelona and Catalonia are especially relevant for Japanese companies because they combine industrial strength, innovation capacity, international connectivity and an established Japanese business presence. The importance of competitiveness, their infrastructures and the business environment are some of the key axes of the economic relationship with Japan.

For Japanese companies looking to grow in Spain and Europe, Catalonia offers access to a diversified economy with strong capabilities in ICT, pharmaceuticals, industrial machinery, automotive-related activities, food and innovation. Recent data also shows that Japanese investment in Catalonia is accelerating between 2020 and 2024, Japanese companies invested €700 million in Catalonia and created more than 3,000 jobs. In addition, the presence of the Catalonia Trade & Investment office in Tokyo, established in 1988, provides a long-standing institutional bridge between both markets. Having direct presence in the territory is really an advantage.

Barcelona also stands out as an innovation hub. The presence of global Japanese companies with technology, AI, gaming, pharmaceutical and industrial activities operating in our territory illustrates that the region is not only a commercial destination, but also a place where Japanese firms can develop higher-value operations linked to research, innovation and European growth.

Across sectors such as mobility, renewable energy, food, infrastructure and advanced manufacturing, which recent Japanese investments, company expansions or joint venture partnerships best illustrate the strength of this relationship?

Several recent examples illustrate the depth and diversity of Japanese investment in Catalonia. In the digital and innovation sphere, the strengthening of economic ties between Japan and Catalonia is evidenced by the opening of NTT DATA’s innovation center in Barcelona in May 2025. As the Japanese company employing the largest workforce in Catalonia, with more than 4,000 employees, this investment represents a significant milestone. Likewise, in 2024, Sony AI announced the establishment of a new artificial intelligence center in Barcelona, its second in Europe, further consolidating the city’s position as a hub for advanced technologies.

In the pharmaceutical and industrial sectors, AGC expanded its facility in Malgrat de Mar in 2022 through a €90 million investment, generating 100 new jobs. Meanwhile, in the digital entertainment industry, Bandai Namco Entertainment operates a mobile game development studio in Barcelona, highlighting Catalonia’s attractiveness for Japanese companies in creative and technology-driven sectors.

Beyond investment, the relationship between Catalonia and Japan is increasingly defined by collaboration in research and innovation. The 2025 institutional mission in Japan held by the Catalan government in collaboration with the Barcelona Chamber, reinforced cooperation in the field of supercomputing, notably through the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between RIKEN R-CCS and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. The corresponding signing ceremony underscored the shared commitment to advancing scientific and technological cooperation.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate that the Catalonia–Japan partnership extends far beyond trade, encompassing investment, innovation, technology, research and strategic institutional collaboration.

How can the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce help Spanish and Japanese companies build stronger commercial ties, particularly through investment, innovation, trade and market-entry support?

The Barcelona Chamber of Commerce can play an important role as a practical connector between companies, institutions and investment ecosystems in both directions. In line with the priorities defined by the Catalan government, our Chamber can help strengthen commercial ties by supporting Japanese companies already present in Catalonia, facilitating contacts with local partners, promoting investment opportunities, and helping Catalan companies and start-ups explore the Japanese market. The plan explicitly prioritizes relations with Japanese companies established in Catalonia and the internationalization of Catalan companies and start-ups in Japan.

The Barcelona Chamber of Commerce can also contribute through business meetings, sectorial events, B2B meetings and institutional dialogue with Japanese counterparts. Just last year, the Chamber participated in the XXV Spain-Japan Forum hosting a business breakfast that was a success in terms of participation.

In practical terms, the Chamber can add value by acting as a neutral and trusted platform for market-entry support, investment, innovation partnerships and trade. It can help companies understand local business environments, identify reliable partners, connect with relevant public agencies such as ACCIÓ, Barcelona Activa and Catalonia Trade & Investment, and organize sector-specific initiatives in areas where both economies show strong complementarity, including mobility, renewable energy, food, infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, ICT, health and research.