The digital euro project has been on the lips of all European institutions for years. Ever since it was proposed in 2020, the European Central Bank (ECB) argued for its implementation, both to speed up payments between states in an increasingly digitized environment and to strengthen the strategic independence of the European Union. But six years later, public ignorance of the project remains high. According to a survey by the Foundation of Savings Banks (Funcas) published in February, only one in four Spaniards understands what it consists of.

Xavier Fitó (Barcelona, 1972) is a businessman with an extensive career linked to the seed sector and a strong defender of innovation in the field. The executive, who claims the role that the agri-food sector must continue to play within the Catalan economy, maintains that the agronomists of the future must be capable of assuming functions "of lab coat, boots, and tie".

In 1961, a group of residents from L'Eixample were looking for tables and chairs to stage their amateur theatre play. On Muntaner street, in a Barcelona still under construction, an ambitious and restless entrepreneur, Jaume Soler, saw an opportunity and embarked on an adventure. Why not offer a service to provide materials for one-off events? What began 65 years ago as a neighborhood project has grown to unimaginable proportions. Three generations later, that company called Dasler has become a benchmark in furniture rental and has provided tables for events such as the wedding of Infanta Cristina and Iñaki Urdangarin, the visits of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI to the Catalan capital, and the "vip area at Rosalía's latest concert.

New crusade by European consumers against tech giants. This Thursday, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC, for its English acronym), together with 29 associations from the 27 member states of the European Union, has denounced Meta (the parent company of Facebook, TikTok and Google) to the European Commission and national authorities. The reason is having allowed the proliferation of fraudulent financial advertisements on its platforms and having ignored calls to remove them, contravening the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA, for its English acronym). contravening the Digital Services Act (DSA, for its English acronym) of the Union.

The effects of the war in Iran continue to tighten the screws on the fruit and vegetable sector, which finds it increasingly difficult to contain the costs of fruit and vegetables. This Wednesday, companies in the sector - through a survey by the main association of manufacturers and distributors in the State (Aecoc) - have warned of the possibility of new price increases in the not-too-distant future if the conflict in the Middle East drags on.

The Damm brewery group opens a new chapter in its internationalization strategy initiated four years ago. After acquiring The Eagle Brewery, located in the English town of Bedford, the company announced this Tuesday a new foray into the British market. Damm has bought –for an unspecified amount– the British beer Old Speckled Hen, one of the premium brands within the ale-style drinks segment in the UK and which until now belonged to the company, Greene King.

The Damm brewery group opens a new chapter in its internationalization strategy initiated four years ago. After acquiring the brewery The Eagle Brewery, located in the English town of Bedford, the company announced this Tuesday a new foray into the British market. Damm has bought – for an unspecified amount – the British beer Old Speckled Hen, one of the premium brands within the ale style drinks segment in the United Kingdom, which until now belonged to the company Greene King.

May 18, 2026, will be a date etched in the history of Bizum, the Spanish payment services provider par excellence. This Monday, its BizumPay platform will land in shops, bars, and restaurants to present itself as a payment alternative to conventional debit and credit cards, a universe until now dominated by North American groups like Visa or Mastercard. The news excites banks and European institutions, who are looking for new ways to reduce dependence on the United States in all sectors. However, commerce greets the measure with doubts and a rather limited initial implementation is expected.

The Bon Preu Group culminates Esclat's return, the group's hypermarket chain, to the city of Barcelona. After a decade of absence in the Catalan capital, the brand owned by Joan Font has inaugurated this Tuesday a 2,100 square meter facility within the Culmia Themis Riera complex, on Riera Blanca street in the Sants district.

The future Catalan patronage law completes one of its major steps. This Monday, the PSC, Junts, and ERC registered in Parliament the first bill to promote patronage in the country, an initiative that had been in institutional paralysis for a decade and had been widely requested by the different actors that make up the cultural sector. This Tuesday, the announcement has been made official.

The National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) has fined former Barça footballer Gerard Piqué and Audax founder José Elías 300,000 euros for trading on privileged information in the acquisition operation of Aspy Global by Atrys Health, a company of which Elías was CEO when the events occurred.

The Catalan pharmaceutical company Almirall closed the first quarter of 2026 with a drop in profits despite the good performance of its main business –the dermatology products segment– and a general increase in sales. According to the accounts published this Monday to the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), the company registered a net profit of 15.3 million euros, 29.2% less than in the same period of the previous year.

When it is said that something can happen, it is likely to end up happening. This expression, used to refer to self-fulfilling prophecies, is common in the economic world. Throughout history, the belief that an event will occur has precipitated events. The list of examples is long: stock market crashes, compulsive consumer purchases, or deposit withdrawals are just a few. And citizens' expectations for controlling inflation are also a factor to consider.

Countdown in DO Cava to choose the replacement for its current president, Javier Pagés. This Friday, the sparkling wine organization has finished defining who the 12 members will be that will form part of the plenary of its regulatory council, the body that represents the different agents of the sector and that will be responsible for designating who will occupy the position of maximum responsibility within the designation of origin for the next four years. The decision is expected to be made on June 11, once the month for submitting candidacies, which will open next week, has ended.

Uriach reinforces its commitment within the natural and self-care products health segment and consolidates its business model in Europe. After a decade marked by a dozen acquisitions across the Old Continent, the Catalan pharmaceutical company closed the year 2025 with a 3% increase in sales, approaching the 500 million euros it had set as a goal when it launched its strategic plan in 2015. Although the improvement falls short of the figures recorded the previous year –revenue in 2024 increased by 54%–, the company acknowledges that the past year has been characterized by a "complex" context after several years of high-growth markets.

The Government strengthens its objective of building 50,000 public housing units by 2030 with the announcement of a new investment. This Tuesday, the Catalan executive has authorized the Institut Català del Sòl (Incasòl) to allocate an additional 251.8 million euros to the promotion of affordable public homes, a figure that comes from the treasury reserves of the 2025 fiscal year and can be used throughout 2026. "This measure should allow for an increase in Incasòl's contribution to address the housing market situation, as well as the need to expand public housing stock," specify the Government agreements published this Tuesday, which also indicate that the executive is working on "other avenues" to expand the current housing supply.