Good news for the ecosystem!

For the fourth consecutive year, Barcelona ranks as the third best European city to undertake, only behind Berlin and London, according to the Startup Heatmap Europe report, prepared by the non-profit association European Startup Initiative (ESI). Not even the pandemic has slowed down the great positioning of the city in the digital and technological sector. The study, which represents the opinion of 1,200 entrepreneurs, is relevant because it is based on their perception of the popularity of each city. A decisive element when creating innovative companies, raising capital and attracting digital talent.

Barcelona’s attractiveness continues to grow, 31% of digital professionals choose Barcelona over Madrid or Paris, and companies and entrepreneurs also prefer the Catalan capital. The best valued aspects are the robustness of the ecosystem, living costs, access to talent and connections with the industry. Key factors for the city to currently have more than 1,200 start-ups.

The Startup Heatmap Europe states that the aspect where Barcelona now stands out the most is in the development of deep tech start-ups, beating large hubs such as London or Berlin. However, the report also points to the weaknesses of each ecosystem, and in the case of Barcelona, it points to the regulation of doing business by the public and private sector, as well as access to capital.

In this article from La Vanguardia, Barcelona Tech City CEO Miquel Marti values Barcelona’s good positioning and the need for the ecosystem to grow and generate larger companies and projects.