FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT AND BILATERAL RELATIONS
Despite international geopolitical uncertainty, Asian businesses are showing absolute confidence in the Iberian market: 97% of Chinese companies based in the country plan to maintain or increase their capital investment throughout 2026. The second edition of a comprehensive sector analysis confirms the qualitative leap in these monetary flows, which are now strategically directed towards the automotive, the Energy and logisticsconsolidating Spain as a key platform for accessing third-party markets.
The ecosystem of the foreign investment Spain continues to attract significant capital flows from the Asian giant. This is according to the second edition of the report. Chinese FDI in Spain: Global Outlook 2026, a reference document jointly prepared by ICEX-Invest in Spain and the consultant KPMG in SpainThis study, based on surveys of 82 corporations and in-depth interviews with eight senior executives, paints a picture of clear optimism and a strong long-term commitment on the part of Chinese investors.
The figures speak volumes when it comes to measuring the entrenchment of these companies within the Spanish productive fabric. 48% of the companies analyzed arrived in Spain from 2020 onwards, adding to the 35% that did so in the previous decade. Far from seeking immediate returns through speculative operations, subsidiaries, branches, and mergers and acquisitions predominate.M&A).
Micaela Arias, executive director of ICEX-Invest in Spain, highlighted the favorable national regulatory framework: “Spain is a country very open to foreign investment. According to the FDI Regulatory Index According to the OECD, Spain is the eleventh least restrictive country in the OECD for investment from a regulatory point of view.”
Sectoral analysis: the electric motor takes the lead Although the destination of the investments covers a broad spectrum, the sectoral distribution reveals clear winners. The sector of Energy It accounts for 17% of the activity, followed closely by the one in Transport and logistics (14%).
However, the most revealing piece of data compared to the previous 2023 report is the remarkable growth of the Automotive and batteries (13%). This increase is mainly due to the implementation of ambitious investments greenfield intended for the construction of battery gigafactories and plants geared towards the comprehensive production of electric vehicle, which represents a boost to national reindustrialization.
Geographically, the map of the Chinese investment It continues to show a strong centralization, with the Community of Madrid attracting 61% of these companies, followed at a great distance by Catalonia, which is home to 16%.
An international springboard and a favorable business climate Interest in the Spanish market extends beyond domestic consumption, although a remarkable 34% of these firms already sell all their goods and services locally. For most Chinese corporations, Spain is a logistics platform of high strategic value due to its enviable geographical location, which facilitates exports and penetration into markets in Europe and Latin America.
The Spanish business climate receives outstanding marks from the surveyed executives, who particularly value the quality of life, transport infrastructure, logistics network, and ease of integrating expatriate teams. Furthermore, economic diplomacy is perceived to be in excellent health; the recent trips to China by the Prime Minister and the King and Queen of Spain have been hailed as highly positive milestones that reinforce the legal security and bilateral ties.
Impact on employment and commitment to technological innovation The long-term commitment of Asian capital also translates into job creation and consolidation. Looking ahead to 2026, 71% of these companies project maintaining or increasing their workforce. Likewise, their investment in innovation is evident: 40% of companies report actively investing in R+D within Spain, which represents an increase of six percentage points compared to the 2023 data.
In this regard, David Höhn, partner in charge of China Practice at KPMG in Spain, highlighted the new paradigms of joint work: “We are seeing new forms of collaboration that drive talent development, such as the training of Spanish staff at the corporate headquarters of Chinese companies. These initiatives are especially valuable in strategic and technologically advanced sectors, where attracting specialized personnel remains a challenge in Spain.”
With the focus on the digitalization And with automation, Chinese companies are reaffirming their roadmap in Spain, combining global competitiveness with a growing integration of multicultural teams for the sake of sustainable growth.
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