Barcelona, May 6 — Former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa highlighted Catalonia’s key role in Europe’s economic and technological landscape during a press conference held after his visit to SEAT’s facilities in Barcelona.
“It’s a pleasure to be back here in Barcelona, at the invitation of President Salvador Illa,” said Costa. “I believe European institutions must stay close to the people and the regions. This is a great opportunity to visit Spain, which is now the great economic engine of Europe, and especially Catalonia, which is the most dynamic region.”
Costa, who is known for his strong support of European integration and innovation, praised the return of political stability in Catalonia and its ability to lead in what he called a “double transition”—toward both sustainability and digital transformation.
He visited SEAT, the Spanish automotive giant, describing it as a company at the forefront of the transition to electric vehicles. “This transformation is decisive for sustainable mobility,” he noted, emphasizing the importance of industrial actors in the green shift.
Tomorrow, Costa plans to visit the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, which he described as “one of the most powerful computing centers” in Europe. The center has recently been chosen as one of the new factories for artificial intelligence and is also pioneering in quantum computing. “It’s a very strong institution to support start-ups and the most innovative companies of the region,” Costa said.
He also expressed enthusiasm about working with the Generalitat de Catalunya and participating in a session of the Cercle d’Economia, a well-known economic think tank in Barcelona.
Despite the weather, Costa remained positive: “Even with the rain, I’m sure this visit, like always, will be very warm.”
His visit underlined not only the strong ties between Portugal and Spain, but also the growing recognition of Catalonia as a leading hub for innovation and economic development in Europe.
