The Minister of Business and Labour, Roger Torrent i Ramió, announced this Tuesday a new Industry 4.0 investment project in Catalonia. He made the announcement during a work trip to London, where he held several meetings with executives from multinational companies and businesses linked to industrial investments to position Catalonia.

The project corresponds to the company Unmanned Life (UM Autonomous Systems), which has chosen Barcelona to establish its central tech hub. The company has developed advanced robotics technology that allows the management of large fleets of robots and drones. This innovative technology enables the creation of new solutions for smart cities and smart factories, as well as advanced management of large infrastructures.

Minister Torrent i Ramió highly valued Unmanned Life’s investment, highlighting “the driving force of our economy, the availability of talent, and a long industrial tradition that, combined with technological and sustainable innovation, makes Catalonia a unique place for companies seeking to grow and expand in the international market.”

For his part, Nicholas Zylberglait, the company’s CEO, explained that Unmanned Life will relocate to Barcelona the hub it previously had in Brussels (Belgium), with 15 employees, and plans to create over 20 new jobs next year. Most of the new hires will be software and robotics engineers, and the company will also establish a sales and marketing team.

According to Zylberglait, access to qualified talent, the strength of the ICT sector in Catalonia, and a business-friendly environment are the main reasons for setting up the new hub in Barcelona: “We firmly believe that Barcelona is a leading tech hub from which we can grow and scale our operations in Europe. It’s the perfect match with our London headquarters, where we will focus on international markets such as the Middle East and North America. I couldn’t be happier with this decision. Our clients and partners are eager to visit us in Catalonia.”

Catalonia’s favorable weather conditions for drone flights compared to the company’s former hub in Brussels are another reason for the relocation, according to the company. Founded in 2015, Unmanned Life has clients worldwide, mainly in Europe.

Meetings to attract new business investments

Additionally, this Tuesday, Minister Torrent i Ramió met with the British company Ananas Anam, specialized in an innovative natural fabric made from pineapple leaves. During the meeting, they discussed the company’s expansion plans, which aim to increase the production of its product, Pinatex, to meet the growing global demand for natural and sustainable fabrics. The company confirmed that they are considering locating this new investment in Catalonia due to the region’s important assets in the textile industry, such as its tradition, capabilities, and expertise in the sector.

The Minister of Business and Labour also met with consultants specializing in international investments to highlight the strengths of the Catalan economy as a foreign investment destination. In this regard, he stated: “We are interested in attracting investments, especially those that impact our productive fabric and create qualified jobs. Catalonia and Barcelona have a high capacity to attract international talent, a key element highly valued by multinationals when choosing a location.”

One of the consulting firms present at the meeting was CBRE. Stephen Fleetwood, Head of Talent and Business Location for the company, highlighted: “Barcelona-Catalonia has been, and continues to be, part of many of our location selection projects; today’s session was a good opportunity to discuss with Minister Torrent the strengths of Catalonia’s talent and business environment for attracting new investments.” During these meetings, the Minister was accompanied by the Director General of Industry and CEO of ACCIÓ, Natàlia Mas i Guix, and the Director of Catalonia Trade & Investment in London, Òscar Martí.

British investment in Catalonia

The Minister of Business and Labour explained that, over the last five years, Catalonia has attracted €2.11 billion in foreign investment from British companies and that the number of UK-originated projects interested in setting up in Catalonia has tripled. “Since the Brexit referendum in 2016, the number of materialized projects from the UK has quintupled. This demonstrates that Catalonia is an attractive destination for international companies, and the Government must continue working to ensure that ‘intentions’ become ‘decisions’ and that investments are ultimately realized,” Torrent stated.