Interview with Josep Sánchez i Llibre, President, Foment del Treball Nacional

01 Apr Interview with Josep Sánchez i Llibre, President, Foment del Treball Nacional

Can you provide an overview of Catalonia’s current economic strengths and emerging industries? How does Catalonia stand out in the EU as a premier destination for business development?

Foment de Treball is one of the oldest business organizations in the world. We have 254 years of history and we represent 75% of Catalonia’s GDP, 16% of Spain’s GDP, around 260,000 companies. Our organization is confederated, meaning we are a business employer organization that encompasses 110 economic sectors, all of those in Catalonia, and 24 independent territorial organizations, spread out and implemented in the different territories of Catalonia. Foment de Treball was the creator of the CEOE, the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations.

It is true that in the last three years, the Catalan economy has experienced significant growth and this increase has enabled a rise in employment in the region. From the economic perspective and leadership of what we at Foment del Treball want to propose for the future, we have always said that Catalonia must lead the Spanish economy and to do this, we want to influence Spanish politics to implement legislative reforms that allow Catalan entrepreneurs to be that driving force. We believe that Catalonia is one of the most attractive regions for international industrial investments in certain industries. It is attractive because we have continuously created an industrial ecosystem in recent years. Industry represents 20% of Catalonia’s GDP. However, we aspire that by 2030, this will have increased to 25%.

At the same time, throughout our history, we have created a Catalonia that is a major hub specializing in chemical and pharmaceutical industries, health and automotive and we believe that through Tech Barcelona, we represent one of the most important technological hubs in Southern Europe. We represent more than 1,300 companies in startups, as well as investments of several million euros. Every year, we attract more industrial groups from around the world to invest in our country. In 2024, we created an air bridge between Boston and Barcelona. We were funded by the U.S. government and visited Boston with 25 companies leading different biomedical projects and startups specialized in health. We secured the commitment of Boston’s local government, MIT and Harvard for them to visit Barcelona in September 2025 to strengthen these ties of collaboration and business exchanges. At the same time, we will try to create a program with the European Union to facilitate this air bridge and expand it to other countries in the EU to strengthen these relationships.

What are the major challenges facing Catalonian businesses in 2025 and how are organizations like Foment del Treball Nacional working to turn these obstacles into opportunities?

We have outlined in our operational program for 2025 these three areas: competitive taxation, administrative simplification and greater public-private collaboration. In this sense, Catalonia, Spain and Europe need to make a great effort in the next five years to reindustrialize. We must take advantage of the facilities focused on business innovation and digitalization to face competition from the US and China. Based on this, we have developed our roadmap for Catalonia and Spain, with the understanding that entrepreneurs need it for legal security and a business-friendly climate. We need competitive taxation that allows us to make investments. We have not achieved this so far, but we hope that in the coming years, we will be influential enough for this, which currently does not exist in Catalonia or Spain, to become a reality so we can compete.

There is another important aspect: while entrepreneurs have been able to apply digitalization and innovation, there is an administration that is inefficient, bureaucratic and slows down investment projects. It is very important that administrations apply efficiency, act more quickly and be as competitive as businesses. Another important aspect is that there must be a rationalization of public spending to be efficient and competitive.

How does Catalonia distinguish itself as a hub for R&D and digital sectors such as AI and automation and what new projects are expected to propel the region toward its 2030 goal of becoming one of the EU’s top 50 most innovative regions?

Catalonia is home to a significant network of research centers. We have around 40 research centers in Catalonia and 12 universities, which together create a highly competitive ecosystem to face the challenges of this new phase, where innovation and digitalization play a crucial role in staying competitive and achieving reindustrialization.

In Catalonia, the Generalitat has recognized the necessity of public-private collaboration and we, as business leaders, believe that without this collaboration, it will not be possible to secure these investments. In addition to the research centers and universities, the Generalitat also has two or three key research centers, such as the Institute of Photonics and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. These institutions already have significant agreements between the Catalan government and the EU, positioning Catalonia to become one of the leaders in Spain in this reindustrialization process through AI and digitalization.

In this regard, there are promising plans, political will from the Generalitat and an effort to strengthen this collaboration. Governments must be business-friendly — this is the key to achieving these goals. We are making efforts with the Spanish government, which currently includes political partners that prioritize growth over innovation. However, the Spanish government has a weakness due to its lack of majority, which leads to policies focused on higher fiscal pressure and less growth. This is an issue we need to resolve with the current government.

Catalonia faces a shrinking working-age population, making talent attraction and training crucial. What actions are Foment del Treball Nacional and its partners taking to attract and upskill talent to meet industry needs?

The most significant effort made in Catalonia to date has been driven by entrepreneurs. They have proposed investments to create employment and economic activity. However, without policies that invite talent from other parts of the world, it is challenging to succeed without a business-friendly approach.

The current socialist government in Barcelona is business-friendly and has the potential to shift the landscape toward growth and international events that generate economic activity. Everything achieved so far has been thanks to entrepreneurs, despite the opposition of certain political leaders. There is still a long way to go to attract talent. We need solid infrastructure, such as an airport with flights connected to the rest of the world. Previous governments opposed the expansion of the airport, causing Barcelona to stagnate. With proper infrastructure, talent will come. Additionally, we need competitive fiscal policies and investments aimed at education, research centers and raising the education level of Catalans.

Catalonia adopted the UN’s 2030 Agenda in 2019, aiming to align with Sustainable Development Goals and reduce its carbon footprint. What industrial activity are we seeing in 2025 related to increased green funding?

We fully agree with the decarbonization goals set for 2050, where all energy will be renewable. Companies have made significant efforts to be sustainable and to adopt renewable energy. However, we face a problem in Catalonia: we have missed the train for renewables. The penetration rate of renewable energy in Catalonia is only 7% due to the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of public administrations.

In Catalonia, 60% of industrial energy comes from nuclear power. If nuclear power plants are shut down in 2030, Catalonia will face blackouts because there will not be enough renewable energy to compensate. Therefore, we believe the state government must decide to increase nuclear energy production. It will not be possible to close nuclear plants by 2030 without causing an industrial blackout in Catalonia. It is essential to extend nuclear energy production in Catalonia for another 10 to 15 years to avoid this scenario and, at the same time, provide the opportunity for renewable energy penetration to grow under this new government.

The US accounts for over 20% of foreign direct investment in Catalonia including 28% in tech-related investments. How significant is US involvement in driving Catalonia’s economic growth?

Catalonia has a very favorable ecosystem, supported by entrepreneurs. We have infrastructure, universities, research centers, and entrepreneurial talent. Entrepreneurs are the reason the US has become one of the most important investor in Catalonia. However, we aim to go further, which is why we have embarked on this venture in Boston and are preparing another one in Miami.

We believe that Catalonia should not only be an attractive destination for European investments, but also for investments coming from North America. The US is a country we admire and a market that interests us. In Catalonia, there are ecosystems such as agri-food, which is highly attractive for investments, as well as biomedicine and health. The automotive sector is also noteworthy, with one of the most important factories making a €10 billion investment in the electrification of cars.

We also have a thriving startup sector. Thanks to the entrepreneurial leadership and the ecosystem we have built, we are optimistic that the new government can increase foreign investment to 40%. Despite challenges posed by previous governments, Catalonia holds immense potential.

Can you provide an overview of Foment del Treball Nacional’s mission and goals for 2025? What recent milestones highlight its importance as a key driver of the region’s public and private sectors?

In the coming years, Catalonia must lead the industrial economic policy of the Spanish economy. This is why we aim to increase our industrial weight in Catalonia. Currently, Catalonia represents 19% of Spain’s industrial GDP, but our goal is to account for 25% of the country’s overall economy.

To achieve this, we are focused on creating an ecosystem of talent and industrial capacity, but we need the support of governments to make it possible. If this were achieved, Spain could become a country with significant industrial potential, which is not currently the case. If Spain wants to re-industrialize, digitize and be innovative in technology, Catalonia must be the driving force.

This depends on governments, entrepreneurs and public administrations. In Catalonia, we must complement our already significant industrial base with another major sector: tourism. We need to modernize the Catalan and Spanish tourism industries to ensure high-quality services. Additionally, the financial sector will play a crucial role in giving an important boost to the Spanish economy.

What are your top three priorities as President of Foment del Treball Nacional as we enter 2025? What key hurdles must be addressed to ensure the private sector achieves Catalonia’s economic goals?

We have modernized the bylaws to remove the term limit restrictions. My presidency ends in 2026 and I am not sure if I will run again. I am greatly enjoying my role and the presidency of Foment del Treball. There is still a year and a half left to decide and it will depend on whether my businesses continue in the right direction and if I have the health to do so. However, it is not yet the time to make a decision. It is true, though, that if there is good management and significant results, it would be a favorable factor for reconsidering.

At this moment, my priority is to ensure that by the end of my term, we have built a strong organization that defends the interests of entrepreneurs. We aim to influence governments to adopt business-friendly policies.

For Foment del Treball, generating wealth is very important, but it is equally crucial to ensure that wealth can be redistributed to achieve social cohesion. Today, in Spain, the most pressing issue we face is social inequality, which is becoming increasingly significant.

At Foment del Treball, salaries are more important than dividends. We are not speculators. We want entrepreneurs to earn in proportion to their contributions and to generate wealth so that inequality is reduced, and society reaches the level it should be at. Otherwise, populism will emerge.