Food Machinery sector in Catalonia 

In Catalonia there are 280 companies with a turnover of more than 1.1 billion euros dedicated to the field of machinery for the food sector.

Companies engaged in machinery for the food sector are directly influenced by the major trends in the agrofood industries. This is the case with the increase in organic food, the creation of alternative proteins, new production systems or the rise of food as a medicine.

These are some of the trends that will evolve the sector at the technological level. In fact, it is estimated that sales of industrial robots in the food and beverage sector in 2022 will account for 3% of the total.

In Catalonia there are 280 companies with a turnover of more than 1.1 billion euros dedicated to this area. Virtually all of these companies are consolidated SMEs (88% are over 10 years old) and employ more than 5,000 people .

The companies that have been considered in this mapping develop machinery aimed at the manufacture and auxiliary industry of one or different segments of activity in the food sector: meat, beverages and coffee, bread and pastry, fruit and vegetable and dairy. In fact, 62% of all companies carry out activities for more than one sector and 13% do so only in the meat sector.

The international sector

International sales is one of the foundations of the sector. Not surprisingly, 84% of companies are exporters , a figure that during the period 2016-2020 accounted for 28% of total sales abroad. In the same five-year period, Catalan exports grew by 41% compared to the previous year, reaching 695 million euros.

Africa and Asia are the continents that offer the most business opportunities to Catalan companies in the field of machinery for the food sector. Support in food processing, in R&D for the agri-food industry or machinery and equipment for agriculture.

For more information, download the report: Machinery for the food sector in Catalonia