The university's activities in Vic contribute 110 million Euros to the Catalan economy and create 1,942 jobs

The university's activities that take place in the city of Vic contribute 110 million Euros to the Catalan economy, and create 1,942 direct and indirect jobs, according to the main conclusions of the report on the economic impact of the Vic campus of the University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) that was presented at a press conference today. The study, which was written by Enric Casulleras, a lecturer in the Faculty of Business and Communication Studies of the UVic-UCC, includes the figures for the 2017-2018 academic year, with 5,539 students registered on bachelor's degree courses, including the first year of the Medicine degree, official master's degrees and doctorates, current expenditure by the Balmes University Foundation and the Foundation for Advanced Health Sciences Studies (FESS) of 7.96 million Euros, and investments of 3.3 million Euros. 

According to these figures, the wealth generated directly or indirectly by the university's activities in Vic accounts for 2.365% of the GDP of the Osona region. This percentage varies taking into account that 22% of the wealth leaves Osona for elsewhere in Catalonia via salaries of residents and suppliers from outside Osona. According to this calculation, the UVic accounts for 1.82% of the region's GDP. In Catalonia as a whole, it contributes to 0.045% of the country's GDP. In terms of job creation, 998 people are directly employed by the UVic and the Faculty of Medicine, and another 944 have jobs due to the indirect effect of the university's work in Vic.

According to the rector of the UVic-UCC, Josep-Eladi Baños, who presented this report, the study highlights "the importance of universities for the regions in which they are located," and "they change the social, cultural and economic characteristics of cities." The patron of the Balmes University Foundation and the Deputy Mayor of Vic, Josep Arimany, emphasised "the importance of the UVic for generating knowledge and economic growth in Vic and in inland Catalonia."

The impact of the University on Osona - 84.8 million Euros and 1,331 jobs

According to Casulleras, the report shows that "the contribution of €110 million to the Catalan economy would not exist without the UVic." In terms of the effect on Osona, the total impact is 84,875,600 Euros, as well as the creation of 730 indirect jobs, in addition to the 601 people employed at the UVic. If this impact is broken down by sector, the most important is trade, transport and hospitality, with expenditure of almost 23 million Euros and the creation of 223 indirect jobs. This is followed in second place by the food and agriculture sector, with an impact of 9.3 million Euros and 127 jobs, and in third place is construction work and real estate services, which have an impact amounting to 9.3 million Euros and 56 jobs.

The total impact of the University on the rest of Catalonia is 25,206,437 Euros and 214 indirect jobs. 6.7 million Euros of this impact takes place in the construction sector with the creation of 40 jobs, 4.4 million Euros in the trade, transport and hospitality sector with the creation of 43 jobs, and 3.1 million Euros in professional, scientific and auxiliary services, with the creation of 42 jobs.

Nearly 1,000 people employed at the UVic have a total payroll of 23 million Euros

The most recent studies on the economic impact of the University of Vic were carried out in 2002 and 2003, when the direct impact of the University was valued at 21.2 million Euros. The comparison between the two results shows that this impact has tripled over the last sixteen years, increasing to a direct expenditure (University, payroll and investments) and indirect expenditure (students) amounting to 71.4 million Euros. This creation of income and jobs affects other sectors of suppliers, and provides the overall figure of 110 million Euros.

In terms of employment, the University was responsible for 336 direct jobs and 228 indirect jobs in 2002. The figures for 2018 are 998 direct jobs and 944 indirect jobs. Employment has therefore also tripled in sixteen years, and there are now 662 teaching and research staff and 336 administrative and services staff members. Almost 1,000 people are directly employed at the UVic, with a total payroll of 23 million Euros (30 million Euros if social security contributions are taken into account). Of this total, 15,400,238 Euros have an impact on Osona and 7,759,556 Euros go to salaries of workers living in the Vallès, Ripollès or Barcelonès regions.

If the employment figures are broken down in territorial terms, 1,331 of the 1,942 jobs directly or indirectly linked to the UVic are in Osona. Bearing in mind that the number of Social Security employee registrations was 70,768 people in June 2018, the UVic is responsible for 1.88% of the total employment in the region in terms of Social Security contributions.

The study concludes that students spend 30,603,593 Euros on goods and services in Osona

Enric Casulleras prepared the report based on three values. First, he studied the University's expenditure on material and equipment, which amounts to 7.9 million Euros. Second, the lecturer estimated that expenditure per student per day is 24.36 Euros, not including housing, according to the calculations based on the data from the Catalan Institute of Statistics; if spending on housing is added, the total is about 36 million Euros for the 2017-2018 academic year. The study therefore concludes that students spend 35,870,193 Euros on goods and services in Osona. Third, Casulleras took into account expenditure by professionals working at the University, and made a distinction between those residing in Osona and those living in other regions.

The trustee of the FUB, Josep Arimany, said that the impact of this report "is another argument in favour of calling for a programme agreement with the Government of Catalonia." According to the rector, this study compiles "the figures for the University's consolidation, and in 5 years' time, when we present them again, we will be able to discuss the figures for its expansion, to which the Faculty of Medicine, the results of the research that is being carried out and the University's expansion into other regions are all contributing."

This study focuses on updating the data used in previous studies (Morral 2002 and Parellada 2003) and using the input-output tables for Catalonia published by the Catalan Institute of Statistics in 2011. The inputs of the UVic are easy to identify in the University's annual accounts (the contribution of teaching and research staff and administrative and services staff and the materials and equipment necessary for academic activities). The outputs are less quantifiable: the production of knowledge, training for students, and the ability to make the region more attractive as a result of the cultural enhancement of the territory.