Catalonian reputation is heavily, and I'm saying heavily, based in the fact that 1) It played with different (more favourable) rules than other areas, and 2) it attracted talent and workers from all coins of Spain in the past. People from Madrid, Sevilla, Leon, Vigo and Granada is often what would be seen by strangers as "Catalonian talent", for no reason.

And I would add that the so called, "Catalonian reputation" has entered in a sinking phase in the last years. Madrid GDP is increasing faster (Madrid alone surpassed the GDP of the entire four Catalonian provinces in 2018 and this was not common in the past) and thousands of companies are slowly losing interest in the area tired from its permanent state of conflict.