The Catalan Executive aims to strengthen ties with strategic allies in the technological revolution, offering Catalonia's scientific, business, and logistical ecosystem as a gateway or consolidation point in Europe. The objective is to position the region on the international innovation map and attract investments that create skilled jobs.
At the Palau de Pedralbes in Barcelona, Illa expressed the Government's desire for "more Japanese companies to take root here to lead in technology and artificial intelligence," as companies like NTT Data already do.
The president highlighted the existence of a "first-class scientific ecosystem," mentioning centers such as the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) and the ALBA Synchrotron, which generate knowledge translated into economic progress. He committed to "maintaining dialogue and close collaboration" with Japan to explore new joint opportunities.
This initiative is part of the Asia Plan, which guides the Catalan administration following institutional missions to Japan and China. Cooperation is already yielding "fruits in technology, industry, research, culture, and innovation," as Illa stated.
Soon, the Catalan technological ecosystem will be strengthened by the establishment of a new quantum computing center by the British company Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) in Barcelona. This facility, the largest of its kind in Southern Europe, will involve an investment of 92 million euros and will focus on deploying quantum systems for applications in medicine, chemistry, AI, finance, energy, and cybersecurity.
