The 5G sector in Catalonia is expanding steadily

The enterprises dedicated to the 5G sector in Catalonia have grown 73% in less than a year. It is one of the conclusions of The 5G in Catalonia, a report elaborated by ACCIÓ – the agency for the competitivity of the company of Ministry of Business and Knowledge – and the Ministry for Public Administration and Digital Policy.The Catalan ecosystem of the 5G includes Universities and Research Centres, like the UPC, the i2CAT Foundation, or the CTTC. Institutions and associations like Mobile World Capital, GSMA, and 5G Barcelona are also part of it. Catalonia is one of the pioneers’ regions impulsing research projects and pilot tests, like the 5GMED Corridor, with the i2CAT Foundation being its Technical Manager. 

Even being an emergent technology, with only 38 companies that work in the sector, it has an important turnover and handles, at least, 150 job positions. Focusing on numbers, 55% are SMEs. 63% of the companies are solutions developers, 16% manufacturing of equipment, 13% network providers, and 8% integrators of this technology. About the applications, the 5G is used in Industry, Infrastructure, Transport, Mobility, Communications, Health, and Tourism.

A growing sector

According to the report, 5G technologies will be of paramount importance. They will allow obtaining stable and safe connections, low latency, and help in the development of other technologies, like the IoT. It is foreseen that the sectors where 5G will have a bigger economic impact are: energy, manufacturing, security, health, and transport. One example of this impact is the connected car, which the Foundation supported. 

The Catalan 5G strategy 

The 5G implantation in Catalonia is a Government’s priority, which wants to support the unfolding of this technology and transform Catalonia in a reference in this technology. For this reason, in 2019 emerged the Catalan 5G Strategy. It is contemplated around five concepts: promotion, infrastructure, innovation, ecosystem, and talent.