Catalonia has been recognized in 2025 as the best startup ecosystem in southern Europe according to the latest edition of the StartupBlink Startup Ecosystem Awards. The award consolidates the region’s position as one of the engines of innovation in Europe and a pole of attraction for talent and technological investment.

The data that accompany this recognition are conclusive:

Catalonia now has 2,285 startups, the highest figure recorded so far and an increase of 9% compared to the previous year. These start-ups generate nearly 23,000 skilled jobs and a turnover of more than 2,300 million euros, with an annual growth rate of 10.6%.

Barcelona plays a fundamental role in this: it has become the second city in the European Union preferred by startup founders and is considered the second most promising emerging ecosystem in the world. The attraction of international investors, the presence of major technological events and the quality of life have consolidated the Catalan capital as a benchmark innovation centre.

Analysts point out that Catalonia stands out not only for the number of startups, but also for a growing sector maturity. Areas such as biotechnology, digital health, smart mobility, artificial intelligence and industrial technologies have registered strong momentum. In this context, the ConTech sector – technology applied to construction, architecture and urban management – has experienced particularly notable growth with companies providing automation, sustainability, smart materials and digital infrastructure management solutions.

Within this panorama of innovative effervescence, the Barcelona ConTech Hub emerges as another outstanding piece of the ecosystem. The center is strategically located in the point with the most entrepreneurial and technological activity in Catalonia, in the middle of the confluence of startups, universities, innovation centers and corporations in the sector. From this space, the country’s ConTech ecosystem will be coordinated and energized, connecting it with the main international hubs, through the International ConTech Network, of which we are driving members and also occupying the General Secretariat.

The aim is to turn Barcelona into one of the most influential ConTech hubs in the world, promoting knowledge transfer, the creation of joint projects and attracting global investment.

Analysts in the sector agree that the combination of international recognition, the sustained growth of startups and the creation of new specialised hubs places Catalonia at a key moment. The country is consolidating itself as a territory capable not only of generating talent and innovation, but also of exporting them.

With spaces such as the Barcelona ConTech Hub, institutional and business support, Catalonia is preparing to strengthen its leading role on the global map of innovation and consolidate itself as one of the most influential ConTech technological ecosystems in Europe.