Zona Franca (Barcelona)

Coordinates: 41°20′0″N 2°8′19″E / 41.33333°N 2.13861°E Zona Franca (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈzonə ˈfɾaŋkə], also called in Catalan: Polígon Industrial de la Zona Franca) is a logistics and industrial area located in the Sants-Montjuïc district of Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain). It is near the C-31 road and la Marina de Sants (Barcelona), el Prat de Llobregat and l'Hospitalet de Llobregat. It is in a very strategic position to be between Barcelona Free Port and Barcelona Airport.

The upcoming Barcelona Metro line L9, currently under development, will serve Zona Franca and connect it with central Barcelona and the rest of the metropolitan area.

Main industries

Opened in 1953, the original SEAT, S.A. automotive industry factory and production line is located in Zona Franca. Following SEAT's acquisition by the German automotive giant Volkswagen Group, the plant no longer produces actual cars, but is instead now solely used as a press shop, stamping out metal body panels. It currently employs 1,269 people.

The area also has a Nissan Motors factory, which produces the Nissan Pathfinder and Nissan Primastar.

See also