Business

Sales abroad have been growing at a two-digit rate for 16 consecutive months, being the true engine of the Catalan economy and the main asset towards recuperating economic growth.

Red Eléctrica, the corporation that operates the electricity transmission system and electricity grid throughout Spain and the French company RTE start work this year. This key infrastructure will enable transporting solar power from Northern Africa to Central Europe.

The Catalan pharmaceutical company is the world’s leader in blood-derived products. After expanding in the United States by purchasing Talecris, Grifols needed a larger headquarters. It moved to three interconnected buildings in Sant Cugat del Vallès, in Barcelona’s Metropolitan Area. From the new facilities, Grifols will investigate stem cells and Alzheimer’s.

In larger cities, the new housing stock is much smaller and in Barcelona it is almost non existent. However, in other towns and rural areas the current stock will not be completely absorbed until 2015, according to a study from CatalunyaCaixa. Prices will stabilise in larger cities and still drop by 10% where the larger stocks are concentrated. The Catalan housing market is now in better shape than in the rest of Spain. In Catalonia the new housing stock decreased by 2,000 units, while in Spain as a whole it increased by 2%.

The company, that processes 1.2 million hams, is the first Catalan meat factory authorized to sell in the United States. As from next year, Pernils Llémena will start exporting to California and New York.

The trade fair focuses on entrepreneurs and company growth. It wants to switch business ideas and projects with investors. Bizbarcelona also provides advice to entrepreneurs who want to start their business. It takes place on June 15th and 16th in Fira de Barcelona’s Montjuïc venue.

A Barcelona-based newspaper announced in its Tuesday edition that the two Catalan savings banks would see a state intervention and would be nationalised by the Spanish Government and the Bank of Spain this summer. CatalunyaCaixa has denied the claims. Unnim also denied the rumours and reminded the press of the 30th September deadline set by the Bank of Spain to restructure its business and find additional capital.

The world’s leader chemical company is planning to invest 12 million euros in its Tarragona plant, the largest one in southern Europe. BASF Spain has its headquarters in Tarragona, and concentrates most of its plants and offices in Catalonia.

The factory will increase its output of biological and pharmaceutical products by 40% over 3 years, taking work from closing factories in Europe and the United States. The Catalan plant is specialised in animal health and vaccines for livestock. It was bought in 2009 by the North American pharmaceutical giant, in a small town near Girona.

Managers from the 27 airlines forming the world’s leading group meet in Barcelona for two days. They stressed Barcelona El Prat’s “strategic” position and its potential to become a hub linking Europe with the Middle East, Latin America and Southern Africa. Barcelona El Prat is Europe’s 4th airport regarding passenger origin and destination. The Catalan Government reasserted its commitment with Spanair.

Despite the scientific analysis that proves the innocence of Spanish field products, the demand for vegetables and fruit, not only cucumbers, has harshly hit agriculture throughout Spain. Catalan farmers are also heavily affected, as well as fresh food shopkeepers. Farmers have to drop prices or even destroy the product as demand has plummeted, especially regarding exports. Thousands of tones of oranges are in stock in the Delta de l’Ebre and may rot if demand does not recover soon.

In total there were 595,342 people registered as unemployed at the end of May in Catalonia. This 1% reduction in relation to the previous month is not good news compared to May 2010, when there were 20,000 fewer people in dole queues. Unemployment decreased throughout Catalonia and in all sectors. In Spain as a whole, there were 4,189,659 people registered as unemployed.

‘Barcelona Activa’ is Barcelona City Council’s agency for local development. Its main activities are promoting business and employment creation. ‘Barcelona Activa’ wins the Grand Jury Prize of the 2011 European Enterprise Awards, organised by the European Commission, the European Presidency and the Committee of the Regions.

Barcelona El Prat and Madrid Barajas airports will be run by private operators. The Spanish Government has already started informal contacts with potential private operators. Public competition would begin this summer, would take place in two phases and will end before the end of 2011.

‘Construmat’ is Spain’s main trade fair for the construction industry and will run until Saturday May 21st. Barcelona’s fair will have a “sister” event in China next year, with Chinese companies but also with those present at the current ‘Construmat’.