Competitiveness in Catalonia
Pankaj Ghemawat and Xavier Vives

The aim of this research project directed by Xavier Vives and Pankaj Ghemawat and sponsored by Foment del Treball on the competitiveness in Catalonia is to set an agenda for future policy based on a combination of a mid-term analysis of the evolution of Catalan economy (using Spain and European leading regions as a benchmark when possible) and economic, social and institutional challenges. A wide range of topics are studied such as macroeconomic performance, education, sectoral analysis (food, autos and biotech), the innovation system, the importance of regional trade or company strategy.

Benchmarking the Appeal of Direct Foreign Investment in Catalonia (in Catalan)
Lluís Torrens and Jordi Gual

Catalonia has undergone a major change in the flows of direct foreign investment. This phenomenon, the result of globalization itself and the movement of capital in search of cheaper labor costs, has not occurred in all industries or in all stages of the value chain with the same intensity. The objective of this project is to launch comparative research between Catalonia and other countries and advanced regions that will help to identify industries and stages of the value chain, and the non-transferable factors that make these areas competitive and attractive to productive investment.

Location of headquarters
Xavier Vives

The aim of the proposed research is to understand the location of headquarters within and across countries in the US and in Europe. The decrease in communication and transportation costs associated with globalization, with increased multinational and transnational production structure and outsourcing phenomena, makes possible to separate firms’ production and decision centers.