The study 'Cybersecurity in Catalonia' , prepared by ACCIÓ - the agency for the competitiveness of the company of the Department of Business and Labor - and the Cybersecurity Agency of Catalonia, has been presented in the framework of IoT Solutions World Congress in Barcelona. One of the main conclusions reveals that Catalonia has 495 companies dedicated to the cyber security sector , which have had a growth of 14.6% compared to the previous year.
These companies currently employ 9,414 people (+15% year-on-year) and generate a business volume that exceeds 1,071 million euros (+17.3% year-on-year) as a whole. In addition, the report highlights that in the last five years, the number of companies has increased by 40%.
Zoom in on the cyber security sector in Catalonia
Catalan companies that work in the field of cyber security are essentially SMEs (85% of the total) and nearly a third of the total (29.1%) are less than 10 years old . It is a sector with an international presence, since 28.7% of the companies involved are exporters. The report highlights the fact that 9.5% are startups and that 13.8% have women in managerial positions.
Regarding the business segments , the study points out that 89.7% of the companies are dedicated to protection , followed by those that work in the field of identifying cyberattacks (58.7%), of those that they specialize in detection (37%), response (33.6%) and recovery from these episodes (20.6%). this ecosystem is completed by the universities , which offer master's and postgraduate studies, as well as VET centers; associations, institutions and public administration entities, in addition to events such as the IoT, the cyber security congress or the MWC.
Some global trends
Global cyber security turnover is estimated to grow at a rate of 13.6% year-on-year until 2027 and reach nearly $300 billion. Countries such as the United States, China, Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany lead this increase on an international scale.
From the point of view of trends , the study collects some conditions that can impact the development of cyber security on an international scale (such as global economic crises and geopolitical conflicts). This is the case of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine , which has made the jump to cyberspace in the form of attacks not only between the two countries but also against others, as well as attacks against the energy sector on a European scale in the context of the supply crisis. Cryptocurrency thefts , personal data leaks , attacks on the public sector , which have increased by 150% this 2022, are other episodes that point to the need to bet on security.
The rise of cybersecurity also brings new talent needs . The number of professionals specializing in cyber security has grown by 11% worldwide, according to the study, but so has the need to fill vacancies, so the gap between supply and demand is growing by 26%. At the same time, the study also emphasizes that the development of cyber security can favor that of innovative technologies such as the IoT, the connected vehicle, Industry 4.0, digital health or electronic commerce.