Catalonia’s economy is based on a long-standing industrial tradition, and the metropolitan area of Barcelona is characterised by a dense and innovative industrial community of SMEs and an active presence of large multinationals, particularly in the biomedical, agro-food, automobile and telecommunication sectors. Catalonia has a long tradition of scientific research. In 2015, the R&D expenditure reached €3.1bn, surpassing the €3bn barrier. This represents 1.5% of the regional GDP, which is a significant higher expenditure in comparison with the 1.2% of Spain.
The MAV was created in 2015 with the aim to promote and contribute to the competitiveness of companies and entities in the value chain of the advanced materials business in Catalonia and its associated technologies. It is formed by more than 60 members, that altogether represent more than 76,000 employees and a revenue of close to €35M. The MAV is organised into four work groups (Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials, Advanced Manufacturing, Lightweight Materials and Circular Economy) that bring its activities to life and support the development of projects by its members.
