The Global Competitiveness Report (World Economic Forum)

ranks Spain 7th worldwide in infrastructures

Global Competitiveness Report 2018

Spain 26º/140

Component Value Score  Rank/140 Best Performer
2nd pillar: Infraestructure - 90.3 7 -
Road Connectivity 100 100 1 Multiple (3)
Quality of road infraestructure 7 78.4 11 -
Railroad density 31.1 9 28 Multiple (24)
Liner shipping connectivity - 72.9 9 Japón

50 airports, most with direct international connections.

The largest network of highways and freeways in the EU (over 17,000 km).

The third most extensive high-speed rail network in the world (3,402 kilometers).

 46 ports, including 4 major European ports.

152 logistics parks and the largest logistics platform in Europe, with over 1.3 million m².

The best ratings worldwide for the quality of its railway system, roads and airport services.

Spain's logistics are

among the most competitive and reliable in the world.

Land for new business developments as well as office and warehouse space are available in practically all of Spain.


Large state-of-the-art network of 

air, sea and land infrastructures

Airports

Major airline hub

Characteristic

Two of Europe's busiest airports: Madrid and Barcelona.

Characteristic

Direct flights to four continents, 74 countries and 189 cities.

Characteristic

672 airlines connect Spain with the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. 

Characteristic

Spanish airports register 4,000 weekly flights to international destinations. The national airport network handled 263 million passengers in 2018

Rail

The most extensive high-speed rail network in Europe

Characteristic

Spain is a world leader with over 15,000 km in high-speed and conventional railways.

Characteristic

 Spain has completed its conventional railway lines for the TEN-T Trans-European Transport Network.

Characteristic

Spain is the third leading country in the world in high-speed rail 

Ports

A first-rate maritime platform in southern Europe

Characteristic

More than 560 million tons of goods a year move through Spain’s 46 ports. One in 4 tons are transported to other countries or continents. 

Characteristic

It ranks third on the continent in maritime passenger traffic, with over million travellers a year.

Characteristic

Spain is the second leading European country in container port moves, and home to three of Europe’s most important ports (Valencia, Barcelona and Algeciras).

Roads

Spain has the largest network of highways and freeways in Europe

Characteristic

Spain’s network of excellent highways and freeways extends over 17,000 km, much higher than the European average.

Characteristic

Spain ranks first worldwide in road connectivity according to the WEF Global Competitiveness Report 2019.

Logistics Hub

Excellent geostrategic location for logistics centers

There are five logistics activity zones in Spain operating in Algeciras, Barcelona, Bilbao, Motril and Seville; and logistics projects in Alicante, Asturias (Zalia), Cartagena, Castellón, Ferrol, Las Palmas, Sagunto, Santander, Tarragona, Valencia and Vigo (Plisan).

Spain has over 70 logistics nodes strategically distributed throughout the country to boost business opportunities in the provinces. 

The seven free zone ports in Spain – where companies have certain tax benefits– offer business centers, commercial spaces, office buildings, industrial warehouse rentals, customs bonded warehouses and industrial parks where active inward processing of semi-manufactured goods can be further processed or finished.  

 

  1. Barcelona Free Zone
  2. CadizFree Zone
  3. Gran Canaria Free Zone
  4. Santander Free Zone
  5. Seville Free Zone
  6. Tenerife Free Zone
  7. Vigo Free Zone

 

Spain has a broad network of dry ports, including Coslada, the major dry port of Madrid, near the Barajas Air Freight Facility. 

Logistics parks

Rapid increase in logistics parks in Spain

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There are 152 logistics parks in Spain covering a total area of 58.7 million square meters, according to Informa's DBK Sectorial Observatory report.

The highest concentration of parks is in the autonomous communities of Catalonia, Andalusia, Valencia and Madrid, however, in terms of size, the largest logistics platform in Europe is in the region of Aragon.

 

Source: (Ministry of Development: Transport and Logistics Observatory in Spain, OTLE)

Digital infrastructure

Spain is one of the most advanced countries in 5G Internet

Characteristic

Spain has the highest FTTH (fiber to the home) penetration rate of any country in the European Union.

Furthermore, ultrafast broadband covers 87% of the country, compared to 60% in Europe.

The 2019 DESI report (Digital Economy and Society Index) ranks Spain eighth among countries best prepared for 5G technology deployment, having auctioned 30% of its frequency spectrum compared to an average 14% in the EU.

Spain is also one of the countries to complete more tests, with pilot projects throughout the entire territory, some of which were funded by the 5G Research in Horizon 2020. And thanks to the deployment by the main Spanish telecom operators, Spain is a leader in commercial 5G.

Ranking FTTH/B - European Ranking

Domestic penetration rate by country* with more than 1% of penetration by family

* Economie with at least 200,000 households, except Island
Source: IDATE for FTTH Council EUROPE, 2019.