'Breaking Bad' actor Aaron Paul calls for limits on smartphones at MWC 2026
Middle East conflict affects attendance: 3 out of 11 Palestinian firms present and 10 Israeli cancellations
Business
Business & economic news from Barcelona and Catalonia
Unemployment edges up in February despite record number in work
Social Security registrations in Catalonia rise by 23,564 to 3.85 million, the highest February figure on record
Artificial intelligence takes over Mobile World Congress 2026
AI-driven robotics, smart devices and humanoids dominate the Barcelona tech fair
Hotel bed offering almost doubles in past 20 years in Barcelona
International events such as Mobile World Congress helps spread out visits throughout year
Inflation in Spain remains at 2.3% in February as electricity prices ease
Core inflation rate, excluding fresh food and energy, edges up to 2.7%
Mobile World Congress ends with record-equalling 109,000 visitors
Tech fair equals highest attendance, reached before the pandemic
'World's largest' audiovisual trade fair kicks off in Barcelona with record attendance expected
ISE gathers over 1,700 companies and more than 85,000 visitors from all over the world
Catalan hotels welcome 1.16 million guests in record January
Data shows strong start for 2026 with 2.5 million overnight stays, up 8%
MWC 20th anniversary to focus on Artificial Intelligence with 110k visitors expected
Barcelona's largest mobile technology trade show scheduled for early March 2026
Steve Aoki, Tim Berners-Lee, and Kate Darling to headline MWC's Talent Arena
Organizers say the event has become a "benchmark in Europe for digital talent" in just two editions
Perplexity AI urges regulators to allow innovation
Speaking at MWC, the conversational search engine wants to go from 20 to 100 million daily queries
Catalonia to invest €1bn in artificial intelligence schemes until 2030
Government will promote public-owned cloud service, promote university degrees, and reduce paperwork
Barcelona's average rent hits €1,153 amid ongoing rent caps
Catalan rents rise 2.5% with Tarragona the only region to see a slight dip
Catalan exports hit record €100.8 billion in 2025
Exports climb 0.6% despite US tariff uncertainty, while imports grow 3.3%
Amazon's Catalonia hub named European benchmark in technological innovation and sustainability
First-mile fulfillment center showcases cutting-edge robotics and greener logistics
Read the latest updates and breaking news on business and economic matters from Barcelona and Catalonia here. Keep up to date with how the Catalan economy is performing, inflation levels, employment and unemployment, major business mergers, important company announcements, and the latest on Catalonia’s biggest enterprises such as Vueling, Wallbox, Grifols, Mango, and plenty of start-ups and international firms based here too.