Spain is the second most active country during Global Entrepreneurship Week

17 November 2021

  • With more than 500 activities carried out, Spain is the second most active country during Global Entrepreneurship Week 2021, behind only the United States (with more than 1,000 events) and well ahead of other economic powers such as the United Kingdom, Belgium, or China.
  • The various events held in Catalonia as part of GEW will lead to nearly 300 new companies that will launch in the coming months.
  • GEW has been celebrated in more than 180 countries and in Spain it has been coordinated by Autoocupació, which has led the organization of more than 500 events in collaboration with more than 100 entities.
  Barcelona, November 17, 2021 The 14th edition of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2021 has concluded, positioning Spain as the second most active country, with more than 500 activities held in collaboration with 100 different entities. GEW, promoted in Spain by Autoocupació and held from November 8 to 14, saw the participation of 180 countries. Spain ranked second on the list, behind only the United States (with more than 1,000 events) and well ahead of other economic powers such as the United Kingdom, Belgium, or China. The president of the Global Entrepreneurship Network, Jonathan Ortmans, personally congratulated Autoocupació for its significant involvement in Global Entrepreneurship Week 2021 during a virtual meeting between the two entities this past Wednesday. Global Entrepreneurship Week has promoted entrepreneurship to more than 20,000 attendees. This year’s edition coincided with the celebration of Bizbarcelona, the annual event that brings together the Catalan entrepreneurial ecosystem, which hosted more than 200 conferences and activities as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, with the participation of more than 9,000 people eager to enhance their talent. To commemorate the week, Autoocupació organized several activities, most notably the edition of Startup Huddle Barcelona, a networking event to help entrepreneurs solve their challenges. During the activity, two entrepreneurs presented, one by one, the challenges they face and received feedback from expert mentors. Albert Colomer, President of Autoocupació, states that “the various events held in Catalonia as part of GEN will lead to nearly 300 new companies that will launch in the coming months.” More than 100 entrepreneurship promotion entities joined the celebration, organizing around 500 different activities and events throughout the week. In total, 14 autonomous communities, 26 provinces, and 53 cities across Spain participated. GEW has helped strengthen their relationships, connect with new audiences, and provide the opportunity to identify potential collaborations. GEW 2021 involved more than ten million people worldwide, who participated in one of the 40,000 events organized by the 20,000 collaborating institutions.

Share

30/09/2026

40 years creating futures!

Once upon a time, there was a country where young people had no opportunities. It was 1986, and in Catalonia many young people were looking for work, but work had a bad habit of hiding. They sent out CVs, knocked on doors… but found them all closed. And if one did open, the answer was

29/09/2026

Interview with Albert Colomer i Espinet, President of Autoocupació

1. What do you remember most vividly about the summer of 1986, when what is now Autoocupació began to take shape? What I remember most about that summer of 1986 is the excitement and the conviction that we needed to do something different. It was a difficult time, with youth unemployment approaching 50%. People without

27/08/2026

New grants of up to €5,000 to open, renovate or digitalise businesses in Lleida

Self-employed professionals, micro-enterprises and small businesses with street-level premises in Lleida can apply for grants of up to €5,000 to carry out renovations, improvements or digitalisation projects. The grant covers 50% of eligible expenditure, subject to a minimum investment of €2,000 excluding VAT. The full amount awarded will be paid in advance, with no guarantee

28/07/2026

Youth Guarantee 2026: Up to €17,094 to Launch Your Self-Employment Project

If you are between 18 and 29 years old and want to start your own business, the Youth Guarantee grant can help turn your entrepreneurial project into reality. This financial aid is designed to support young people entering the labour market through self-employment by providing funding for both the start-up of their business and the