The Government of Salvador Illa will give maximum priority to Catalunya Media City, the major audiovisual and digital hub that will rise on the site of the old Besòs thermal power station. The declaration, which will be formalised next Tuesday, will expedite procedures and guarantee the energy supply for the complex.
The Generalitat has decided to secure the future Catalunya Media City (CMC) with all administrative and energy guarantees, the major technological hub that will occupy the space of the Three Chimneys of Besòs. The Government will declare the complex a 'strategic country project', a label that, beyond symbolism, accelerates timelines and ensures the electrical power needed for the audiovisual, digital, and gaming hub to take off without hindrance.
A declaration with practical effects: guaranteed energy and expedited procedures
The Secretary General of the Presidency Department, Eva Giménez, confirmed this Thursday that the declaration will be made official next Tuesday. The measure, she explained, "will allow us to promote and expedite key actions," especially those related to energy supply, one of the main hurdles for projects of this magnitude.
The coordinator of the Government's Interdepartmental Commission for Energy Transition, Daniel Pérez, was emphatic: "We want to ensure that anyone who wants to move forward with a project has sufficient energy capacity, and not tell anyone no because there isn't enough energy." The CMC will require increasing electrical capacity as it attracts companies, and the declaration paves the way for obtaining grid connection permits on a priority basis.
Moreover, the agreement will allow the complex to access priority processing in regional and local procedures, a key factor to prevent construction and licensing from dragging on. The General Director of the Besòs Consortium, Ferran Falcó, reminded that the project "also involves talent acquisition and business generation," estimating that the site will host more than 67,000 square meters of economic activity.
From 'country project' to 'state strategic investment project'
The Government is not satisfied with its own declaration: it will also push for the central government to recognise the CMC as a 'strategic investment project' under Royal Decree Law 7/2026. If successful, the complex could benefit from additional measures such as facilitating access to electrical, hydraulic, and transport infrastructures; inter-administrative coordination; preferential access to aid and public funds; institutional support mechanisms, and assistance with regional and local procedures.
The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, already presented the CMC in April 2025 as "a country project" that should "project Catalan identity through the audiovisual industry." Now, with the official declaration, the Government turns that statement of intent into concrete commitments that provide the project with a clear roadmap and resources for realisation.
Impact on the province of Barcelona: employment and business fabric
The Catalunya Media City will be built on the grounds of the old Three Chimneys thermal power station, in the municipality of Sant Adrià de Besòs, but its influence will extend throughout the metropolitan area of Barcelona. The Generalitat's forecasts indicate that the complex could accommodate around 2,000 highly qualified professionals and generate between 3,500 and 5,000 direct and indirect jobs.
For the residents of Sant Adrià, Badalona, and Barcelona, the project will mean transforming a disused industrial icon into a hub of innovation that aims to be a reference in southern Europe. Companies in the audiovisual, digital, and gaming sectors that set up in the CMC will find an ecosystem designed for collaboration and talent attraction, with modular spaces and shared services.
The Besòs Consortium, an entity that brings together local and supramunicipal administrations, will be responsible for managing urban development and attracting investors. The declaration of 'strategic country project' gives the consortium the capacity to coordinate the different departments of the Generalitat and accelerate the necessary permits, an aspect that has historically hampered large projects in Catalonia.
The news comes at a time when the Catalan audiovisual industry is thriving, with international productions filming in the region and an expanding ecosystem of digital startups. The CMC aims to be the catalyst that consolidates this trend and prevents talent from fleeing to other European hubs like London, Paris, or Berlin.
The Government's decision, which will be formalised next Tuesday, represents a definitive boost to a project that has been in the planning phase for years. With energy and procedures secured, Catalunya Media City can begin to become a tangible reality for the residents of Besòs and for the entire province of Barcelona.
