Last year, EL PERIÓDICO once again summoned Catalan society to present its awards for the most outstanding economic initiatives of the year. After the parenthesis caused by the pandemic and still under the unexpected impact of the start of the war in Ukraine, the jury wanted to highlight various strategies to overcome the ravages of the crisis and vanguard in the process of economic recovery. After a year, a conflict to which no end is in sight has unleashed a global energy crisis and an inflationary process that has tested companies and citizens and will continue to do so, perhaps even more, during 2023. And even under these circumstances, the Catalan economy has continued to grow, at a slower pace than expected but still without pause: with an increase in GDP of 4.5%, with the creation of 19,000 new companies and generating a quarter of the value of exports from all of Spain. And the vision of the future, the ambition and the responsible optimism of companies that provide an example to all of Catalan society, and also to the administrations that must bet on an environment that allows investment and the creation of jobs, on how to generate wealth and contribute to the progress of the entire community.
To the traditional award of Company of the Year, that this year recognizes the exceptional results of puig In 2022, in which it has also continued its international expansion in the fashion and perfumery sectors, the Entrepreneur of the Year award has been added, which was born highlighting a figure such as that of Carlos Bertomeu, that to his trajectory in the air transport sector he has incorporated the commitment to the railway with the operator Iryo.
With the main sponsorship of Banc Sabadell, co-organizer with this head of the Prensa Ibérica group of the initiative, this year the Company of the Year Awards have also modified the rest of its categories to reflect the values and purposes that support the editorial line of this newspaper, and that they represent the model of progress that has characterized the best moments of this country and that should still inspire its ambitions for the future. The contribution of the family business, internationalization, innovation, sustainability and inclusiveness. Reflected respectively in the award for the best Family Business to Catalan West, both for his succession process and for the management of the company; the award for the + Sustainable Company to the wineries Torres Family, for the ambitious project to achieve the goal of zero net CO emissions2 in 2040; the distinction as the Most Innovative Company to InBrain Neuroelectronics, that explores the potential of graphene in the treatment of neurological therapies; or the strategy with 45 years of experience that has made agrolimen the +International Company of 2022; and the 60 years of experience offering resources to people with disabilities, mental health disorders or in vulnerable situations that make the foundation creditor ampans of the +Inclusive Company title of 2022.
A panoramic and inclusive vision of the variety of the business and social fabric of Catalonia: family tradition, innovation, small companies with the capacity to innovate and business groups capable of achieving volume to go out into the world in key sectors.