More than 12,000 km of roads, around 1,600 km of railway, three international airports, two of the largest ports in the Mediterranean, and the future high-speed rail line, make it even easier to access the world markets from Catalonia.

International Airports in Barcelona, Reus and Girona. With 27 million passengers, El Prat airport is ranked in Europe. It is also ranked second in Spain in terms of the amount of cargo, handled (90,279 tonnes in 2005). Its Master Plan, with an investment of € 2 Bn (2000-2020), aims to consolidate it as the hub of air traffic operations in Southern Europe, handling 500,000 tonnes of air cargo per year. Two other international airports with increasing traffic are Reus, to the south, and Girona to the north.

Barcelona and Tarragona Ports. The Port of Barcelona is one of the main Mediterranean and southern European ports and the most popular destination for Mediterranean cruise liners. It specialises in general goods and high-value merchandise. The Port of Tarragona, one hour from Barcelona, is the driving force behind the area's important petro-chemical industry. Both are undergoing processes of expansion, not only of the ports themselves but also of the logistical areas.

Network of Intermodal Logistics Centres. The Zona Franca Logistics Park, the Logistics Activity Area (ZAL) and ProLogis cover a total of 300 Ha dedicated to logistics in the Barcelona area. There are also other excellent projects in the areas of Vilafranca del Penedès and Girona. The two distribution areas for the Integrated Freight Centers in Barcelona and Lleida, with a current storage capacity of 200,000 m2, will soon double their potential, thanks to 6 new projects which the government plans in the coming years.

Road and Rail Communications Network. Catalonia already has an extensive rail and motorway network which allows for effective links between industrial and urban centres, as well as a fast connection with the rest of Europe. Added to the existing network will be the high-speed rail line, due to reach Barcelona in 2007 and join the European network in 2009.

Telecommunications and data infrastructure. Catalonia's telecommunications and data infrastructure is highly advanced, extensive and reliable. Few countries invest such a large proportion of their GDP in IT as Catalonia does (estimated to be approximately 6% of GDP). It is a world leader in the development of high-bandwidth Internet technologies with 100% availability for companies, as well as in digital microwave transmission, satellite communication services, digital television, and mobile communications, including GPRS, wireless ASP and new mobile data services. There is also a wide choice of data and voice carriers and data centres, providing seamless voice, video and data links with major international carriers and availability of hotspots and virtual spaces for shared use by businesses. It is also worth highlighting the improvements in the legal framework aimed at boosting R&D in the region, all of which heralds the start of a new era in our commitment to new technologies.

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