Zona Franca, Barcelona
Industrial Estate
Since the construction of the Zona Franca Industrial Estate in
the sixties, its business activities and importance to the economy of the
country as a whole have been increasing progressively. It is currently the
largest and most active industrial in Spain and one of the most dynamic in
Europe as demonstrated by the 250 businesses located in it which generated
45,667 direct and 274,000 indirect jobs. All of these factors make it a key
component of Barcelona’s economic potential and one of the city’s main
economic drives.
It is a very large industrial estate, with an area of six million m²
representing 5% of the area of the city of Barcelona, with 32 kilometres of
pedestrian streets, 8,500 trees and a landscaped area of 210,000 m². In this
respect, it is important to note that ample consideration is given to the
environmental impact of the industrial estate and that work is permanently being
done to improve the waterworks and the environmental conditions in general.
It is exceedingly well-connected: it is located 7 kilometres from the
traditional centre of Barcelona, 7 kilometres from Barcelona Airport, 500 metres
from the Port of Barcelona, 200 metres from the main cargo train station of
Catalonia and is directly linked to the ring roads which connect to an extensive
network of national and international motorways.
The industrial estate occupies a central position in an area undergoing major
transformation with various public works projects being developed there under
the Delta Plan, and will be the site for a large number of projects planned for
Barcelona in the future.
Zona Franca Duty-Free Customs Area
At present, the Zona Franca Customs Area is a solid and established business
which provides a range of varied and quality services. Is a modern centre of
logistics activity used by companies as a operations base for their trading with
Spain, the EU and countries further afield. One of its features is the volume of
cargo traffic with the Middle East and Far East, as seen in the success of the
activities of the Government of the People’s Republic of China from its
commercial office based in our facilities. Due to its proximity to the port, the
origin of the majority of the merchandise is maritime.
The Zona Franca Customs Area of Barcelona occupies an area of 160,000 m2,
distributed between the main grounds and the Alvarez de la Campa dock. It has
84,000 m² of warehouse space, 9,000 m² of office space and 3,000
m² of lockers. All of the facilities are owned by the Consorci and are
leased to third parties who are interested in operating directly or indirectly
on a duty-free basis.
Over 100 companies are based on the grounds and 25 of the ones with warehousing
space are considered as duty-free operators. More than 700 people work in the
area, which receives a daily flux of 1,000 transport vehicles and over 1,000
visitors to the companies based on the grounds and to the Customs office. All
these factors make it the main free trade zone of the Mediterranean.
The mixture of EEC and non-EEC merchandise is managed with a high level of
trust, security, flexibility and administrative control, in addition to
simplicity in the administrative procedures. Evidence of its success is the
great demand for space which vastly exceeds supply and has generated a long
waiting list of potential customers. It can be said that the Zona Franca Customs
Area has established itself as a specialised logistics platform for this sector
in Barcelona, created in the area of the Delta del Llobregat, whose
distinguishing features are its essential nature as a logistics community and
its grand capacity to adapt to change.
The first of these features, its nature as a logistics community, stems from the
complementary activities of the businesses based in the Zona Franca Customs
Area: duty-free operators, warehouse owners, customs brokers, forwarding agents,
carriers and service companies, which ensure that the majority of operations are
developed with the involvement of more than one of these businesses. The
physical presence of the Customs office acts as the main factor which binds this
peculiar centre of small and medium-sized businesses engaged in international
trade. In fact, the Zona Franca Customs Area is a genuine breeding ground for
businesses dedicated to logistics and is an important piece in the framework
constructed by Barcelona Logistics Centre.
Zona Franca Logistics Park
The Zona Franca Logistics Park, which is located in the Zona Franca Industrial
Estate, in the centre of the Delta del Llobregat logistics platform, at the port
of entry for sea traffic and intercontinental air traffic, is one of the largest
projects in Barcelona at present. The project, promoted by the Consorci and
Autopistas, CESA, will involve a total investment of Euro 150,3 million.
Its innovative approach will have a great impact on the transformation of the
southern part of the city of Barcelona. On 40 hectares, it will provide a new
logistics area comprising 105,000 m2 of modern industrial premises and a
business area with more than 80,000 m2 of offices in impressive buildings.
As well as offering a high quality and innovative product to businesses, the
Park provides added value to the city by changing the appearance of one of the
main access routes to it. The extraordinary visibility of the Park`s 1,350 m
facade, which runs parallel to the Ronda Litoral, ensures that its quality and
innovative architecture makes an impact and offers a new image to the city.
2000 has been a year of consolidation for the Logistics Park with respect to its
projects. 50,000 m2 of logistics premises were put on the market, which are
already fully rented out to add to the more than 20,00 m2 rented out in 1999,
with clients such as Actebis, Aeris, E. Erhardt, Esmar, Fagor, federal Mogul,
Hamman Group, Hennes et Mauritz, IP Powerhouse, Telefónica Distribution
Services and others. In addition, the construction of two new premises of 18,000
m2 each has been started.
Zona Franca Services Centre
It is located in an excellent position, the Zona Franca industrial estate, in
the heart of the most modern and active industrial area in the country and less
than then minutes from Barcelona’s city centre and other important
minicipalities.
The 13,000 m² building is based on a modern concept of space, the architectural design is innovative, the finishes are of a high quality and the technological and service features meet very high standards. The ground floor is taken up by shops, spacious pedestrian zones and landscaped areas, and spacious lobby provides access to the other office floors.
The investment in the project was Pta 917 million (Euro 5.51
million). The Consorci has a 59% holding in it and the Mancominutat de Municipis
de l’Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (MMAMB) holds the rest.