Barcelona’s universities and public research centres generated €10.6 billion for the Barcelona Metropolitan Region economy in 2023, according to a new study commissioned by Barcelona City Council. The figure equals 4.1% of the region’s GDP.
The report was produced by the University of Barcelona’s AQR-Lab research group and is based on 2023 data. It estimates total turnover of €16.249 billion, or about €44.6 million a day, and says the activity also represented 3.6% of Catalonia’s GDP.
Deputy Mayor for Economy, Housing, Treasury and Tourism Jordi Valls said the study is the first to quantify the economic impact of universities and public research in the Barcelona area. He also said Barcelona has made a sustained commitment to the knowledge economy as a growth engine alongside traditional sectors.
The sector created or maintained 147,826 full-time equivalent jobs, which the report says is 5% of employment in the Barcelona Metropolitan Region and 4% of Catalonia’s total employed population. It also generated €5.5753 billion in salaries, with the report pointing to wider effects on household spending and local demand.
The study, presented by Jordi Suriñach, Esther Vayá and Joaquim Murillo, covers universities, training centres, R&D centres and linked business activity such as concessions, spin-offs and start-ups. It says indirect and induced effects, including spending on goods and services and worker consumption, more than double the direct impact, with multipliers between 1.9 and 2.3.
Barcelona City Council says it will keep backing this ecosystem through the Strategic Plan for Science and Innovation, the Barcelona Impulsa Plan and the Ciutadella del Coneixement project. For more on the city’s wider economic and civic coverage, see our Community and Sport pages.
Originally published by Barcelona City Council Press Room. Read original article.
