According to the annual report ‘La ciberseguretat a Catalunya’, prepared by ACCIÓ, the agency for business growth of the Department of Business and Labour, and the Cybersecurity Agency of Catalonia, the sector has increased its revenue by 19.8% in the last year and is consolidating as one of the most dynamic technological fields in the Catalan economy. The document analyzes this industry, as well as the main opportunities and challenges surrounding it.
Currently, over 600 companies (+9%) operate in this field, employing 11,800 people (+11.4%). The ecosystem is predominantly composed of SMEs (83.5%), with 10.4% being startups. Almost a quarter of the companies (24.7%) are less than ten years old, demonstrating the sector's capacity for generating new business activity and innovation. Furthermore, 24.1% are exporters and 15% are subsidiaries of foreign companies. The main business segments include protection (90.6%), identification (65.9%), detection (43.2%), response (38.7%), and recovery (26%) from cyberattacks.
Cybersecurity is evolving to face new threats by integrating with complementary technologies. 40.2% of companies (244) incorporate artificial intelligence into their solutions, while 7% (43 companies) are working on quantum technologies applied to digital security. Additionally, 108 companies develop products and services for security and defense.
The lack of adequate skills remains the primary challenge. Cybersecurity is currently the most strained digital technology in Barcelona's job market, with only 3.53 professionals available per job opening. It is also one of the best-remunerated digital disciplines, with an average annual salary of 64,100 euros. To meet this demand, Catalonia offers 21 specialized university programs and 58 vocational training courses.
Catalonia ranks seventh in Europe for foreign investment projects attracted in cybersecurity (2021-2025), with 13 projects (+62.5% compared to the previous five years). These projects have generated over 250 million euros in investment (seven times more) and created more than 1,200 jobs (three times more). Catalonia also ranks fifth in Europe for Horizon Europe funding (2022-2024), with 19 projects securing 11.3 million euros. Furthermore, 39% of the 203 international tech hubs established in Catalonia are dedicated to cybersecurity.
Data security incidents in Catalonia increased by 27.4% in 2025, with human error being the cause of more than half. The Cybersecurity Agency of Catalonia managed 6,544 incidents in 2025, a 94% increase from the previous year. 83.2% of Catalan SMEs have achieved a basic digital level.
Globally, worldwide cybersecurity revenue is projected to reach $265 billion by 2030. This growth will be driven by the continuous migration of business infrastructure and data to the cloud and could be amplified by the impact of AI and increased cyber threats associated with the geopolitical context. Financial services (28.6%), public administration (26.1%), and telecommunications (14%) are the most demanding sectors. The United States leads the global market (44%), followed by China.
Challenges include enhancing companies' ability to detect and respond to AI-accelerated attacks, the transition to post-quantum cryptography, and the need to improve detection and response capabilities against increasingly sophisticated threats.
