The Catalonia Trade & Investment office in Silicon Valley is directed by Marc Bonavia. He is a global entrepreneur who founded SITmobile and has worked as a coach in innovation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy and a Master’s in Experimental Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Barcelona and in High Performance Leadership from EADA Business School. A further three consultants complete the office, which is located in Menlo Park in Palo Alto.
ACCIÓ’s California office opened initially in San Francisco in 1989 and then moved to Los Angeles in 1991. In 2010 it finally transferred to Silicon Valley with a view to connecting Catalan companies and startups to the world’s main pole of digital innovation. Since 2015, the office has promoted nearly 150 projects, principally in the ICT-Mobile sector. It also performs projects with companies in the food, industrial systems and experience industries.
The Silicon Valley office specializes in helping to establish Catalan companies on the west coast of the United States, where it provides assistance in incorporating companies, offers virtual platform and soft landing services, and recruits specialized personnel. Its international innovation projects are also significant.