As a translation agency specialised in the Nordics but with offices in both Malaga and Copenhagen, COMUNICA is in a unique position to bridge business connections between northern Europe and Spain – which is not only an attractive market in its own right, but also a gateway to southern Europe and Latin America.
Over the years, we have helped many companies jump successfully between these two exciting markets. What’s more, our experiences have shown us that the Nordic brands are only going from strength to strength on the Iberian Peninsula. Read on to learn more about the opportunities and how COMUNICA can help you to realise them.
Why do business in Spain?
With a population of 47.4 million, EU membership and a strategic position at the nexus between the old world and the new, Spain is an attractive market for many businesses in Europe. Although its economy has traditionally been associated mostly with tourism and agriculture (especially the production of fruit, olive oil and gourmet products), recent decades have seen incredible diversification and the explosion of new sectors – from technology and life sciences to entertainment, marketing and services.
Let’s take a look at some of the most convincing reasons to do business in Spain:
Access to a huge market
Spain is one of the most populous countries in Europe, offering access to a huge number of potential customers. In addition to its permanent population, Spain also receives more than 100 million international visitors each year. This means businesses can target not only locals, but a continuously renewing roster of visitors with money to spend on everything from food and experiences to accommodation and transport.
Spain is also the gateway to Latin America, making it a great launching pad for businesses who have conquered Europe and are now setting their sights on markets across the Atlantic. According to Alfombra Roja, a business consultancy in Spain, companies endorsed by the Spanish market enjoy great prestige and respect in Latin America. This allows them to gain ground more quickly than rivals who have not first passed through Spain.
A wealth of human capital
Spain has an excellent education system and a highly educated populace. According to Invest in Spain, Madrid alone churns out 40,000 graduates a year and has one of the highest numbers of students in Europe. At the same time, wage costs are also competitive, meaning foreign businesses can easily afford to hire flexible and highly skilled employees to help power their growth.
Some of the top degree subjects offered by Spanish universities include natural science, hospitality management, computer science and marketing. This latter skill can prove especially lucrative in opening doors to the Latin American market.
Excellent infrastructure and business clusters
Transport infrastructure in Spain is the envy of Europe, boasting the longest high-speed railway network in the region and the third most extensive in the world. Spain’s strategic location between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean also makes it a major maritime player with three of the most important ports in Europe (Valencia, Barcelona and Algeciras). The Port of Vigo in the north is also the world’s largest fishing port.
The country’s business infrastructure has also been expanding in recent years, in part as a direct result of both the excellent transport and educational structures in place. A number of business clusters have taken root in the country, as well as some leading tech parks. These include the Fuente Álamo Tech Park in Murcia and the Málaga Tech Park in Andalusia which is home to more than 630 cutting-edge companies and just a stone’s throw away from COMUNICA.
Scandinavian success in Spain
For many decades (if not centuries), the main trade flows between Spain and the Nordics have comprised of the same products. Fruits, vegetables and olive oil flow from south to north, while the Nordic countries send back fish (from Iceland), oil and gas (from Norway) and tourists from all across the region in return. Not to mention all the cars and other industrial products that move in both directions, or the paper and cardboard products sent en masse from Finland.
In the last couple of decades, a number of modern Nordic brands have also achieved great commercial and reputational success in Spain. This is particularly true within the realms of fashion and interior design, where Nordic is a byword for high quality and superb taste.
Take fast fashion, for example. Even though Spain is the home of Inditex – the world’s largest and most lucrative fast-fashion empire – Sweden’s H&M and Denmark’s Jack & Jones (among others) are nonetheless able to mop up large swathes of this market. Both stores are a staple on Spanish high streets and shopping malls up and down the country.
When it comes to design, on the other hand, those iconic blue and yellow signs for IKEA welcome motorists arriving to most of Spain’s major cities or driving out from their airports. The Danish design retailer JYSK also boasts an outsized presence in Spain, with 125 outlets across the country.
However, it is not just businesses within these classic sectors that should consider Spain. The language and culture in general are having a moment in the country right now, with all kinds of Nordic cultural references taking root in the cultural and urban fabric. This presents a fantastic opportunity for Nordic businesses of all kinds to seize the zeitgeist and connect with a receptive consumer base.
COMUNICA is your gateway to Spain
Although COMUNICA specialises in the Nordic markets, our main office has long since been based in the sunnier southern climes of Andalusia. This puts us in pole position to serve as a gateway to the Spanish market – not simply by virtue of our location alone, but also because we work with a wide network of Spanish linguists and partners, and we have built up an adept understanding of the local culture and business conditions over many years.
What’s more, as of early 2023, we now also have a satellite office in Copenhagen – the beating heart of the Nordic region. This makes us a natural go-to partner for Nordic businesses interested in reaching the Spanish market through translation and localisation services.
If you would like to know more about how COMUNICA can help your company communicate with stakeholders or reach customers in the Spanish market, feel free to get in touch with us for a commitment-free chat. Looking forward to hearing from you!