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Automotive Manufacturing

Aragon, a leader in the automotive industry in the midst of transformation

Aragon’s automotive industry remains a key pillar for the Spanish and European economy, standing out as a benchmark for competitiveness, innovation and sustainability.

This is the main conclusion reached in one of the debates held at the “Invest in Aragón” event organized by Capital Radio and the Government of Aragón on November 10 at the Zaragoza Chamber of Commerce, where industry experts discussed the advances, challenges and opportunities for this dynamic sector, which is undergoing an unprecedented transformation, driven by electrification and new mobility solutions.

Participants in the meeting included Mar Paños, General Director of Industrial Promotion and Innovation of the Government of Aragon; Elena Latorre, General Director of MANN+HUMMEL Ibérica; and David Romeral, manager of the Automotive and Mobility Cluster of Aragon (CAAR).

Aragon, a strategic center for the Automotive Industry

Aragon is recognized as one of the main automotive hubs in Spain, with the presence of one of the major manufacturers: Stellantis, as well as more than 300 component supplier companies that also supply other global brands. Eighty percent of the vehicles manufactured in Spain are produced within 350 km of Zaragoza, and 90% of the country’s automotive components industry is located in Aragon. This concentration of companies, distinguished by their high competitiveness and innovation, makes the region an international benchmark in the automotive industry.

In addition, Aragon benefits from its strategic location, situated in a key logistical corridor for the sector, which makes the region a first-rate transportation hub for the automotive industry, facilitating distribution at both national and European level.

Industry transformation and challenges

The industry is currently facing a profound transformation, driven by the transition to electric vehicles and new mobility solutions. Aragonese companies are investing heavily in research and development to adapt to these changes, with Stellantis leading the production in Spain of three fully electric models at its Zaragoza plant.

In this context, innovation in production processes is essential to maintain global competitiveness. The integration of new technologies, cost reduction and improved sustainability are some of the focuses of work that will enable companies to remain a benchmark in the global market.

The challenge of training and talent retention

One of the biggest challenges facing the automotive industry in Aragon is the shortage of qualified talent, especially in technical areas such as mechatronics and mold making. To address this need, the Government of Aragon is driving several key initiatives:

  • The development of a Talent Plan to train, attract, retain, and in some cases repatriate, qualified professionals in all sectors.
  • The creation of training and retraining programs for workers, adapted to new technologies and industry demands.
  • Collaboration with universities and vocational training centers to align educational programs with market needs.
  • The organization of awareness days aimed at showing young people the opportunities offered by the industrial sector in general, and changing the perception of modern manufacturing.

Challenges and opportunities for the future

Experts agree that, in order to consolidate Aragon’s leadership in the automotive industry, it is necessary to:

  • Promote the region’s strengths and competitiveness, attracting both investors and highly qualified talent, both nationally and internationally.
  • Reduce bureaucratic barriers and simplify administrative processes to encourage business growth and investment.
  • Increase investment in education and training programs to ensure a steady supply of skilled workers who can contribute to the future of the sector.
  • Improve the perception of the industry among young people, highlighting the professional opportunities offered by the sector, as well as its innovative and sustainable nature.
Categories
Aerospace Sin categoría

Aerospace Cluster of Aragón celebrates anniversary highlighting the boost of the industry in the region

The Aeronautics, Space and Defence Cluster of Aragon (AERA) celebrated its 17th anniversary on 5 November at the Teruel Airport Platform (PLATA).

The anniversary was held at the facilities of Elson Space España, a pioneer in the manufacture of HAPS, and at the event, the president of the AERA Cluster and general director of the Teruel Airport (PLATA), Alejandro Ibrahim highlighted the great growth of the cluster, which has doubled its membership in 2 years and now totals almost 60 entities.

During the event Elson Space was awarded for its commitment to the development of advanced HAPS technologies, and also the company Teltronic, for its 50 years of dedication to the development of advanced communication solutions and its importance in the Aragonese business community. Special recognition was also given to Colonel Conrado Cebollero, defence delegate in Aragon, for his constant support and his dedication and promotion of the defence culture.

The anniversary also served to showcase the strengths of one of the region’s drivers of innovation and growth, which is still largely unknown. The aeronautics, space and defence sector employs 7,000 people throughout Aragon, including the auxiliary industry, with 700 of these jobs located at Teruel airport. The annual turnover is 1,500 million euros, which represents 4% of Aragon’s GDP, according to the Regional Minister of the Presidency, Economy and Justice and Vice-President of the Government of Aragon, Mar Vaquero. This growth in the weight of the aeronautical sector is mainly due to the defence and space sectors, with many projects related to artificial intelligence technology systems.

Aerospace industry in Aragon

The aeronautical, space and defence sector in Aragon has undergone a remarkable expansion in recent years, consolidating its position as a benchmark in innovation and advanced technology. With specialised centres such as the Teruel Airport Platform, the region has the largest European infrastructure for the storage, maintenance and recycling of aircraft, and is positioned as a unique space for the development of high-tech projects, including drones, HAPS (high-altitude pseudo-satellites) and aerospace testing. In addition, the synergy between companies, universities and research centres fosters a dynamic ecosystem in which areas such as artificial intelligence applied to defence, new propulsion technologies and the development of advanced composite materials stand out. All of this, together with institutional support and Aragon’s excellent logistical connectivity, strengthens its position as a key destination for investment in the aerospace and defence sector.

Categories
Green Energy Sin categoría

3.4 billion investment in a new data center in Aragón

Jorge Azcón, President of the regional Government of Aragón, has announced a 3.4 billion investment by the company Box2Bit for the construction of a data centre in Cariñena, a town near Zaragoza well known for its Protected Designations of Origin for wine. The CAMPUS EBRO project will create more than 1,950 direct jobs, 350 of them already in the operational phase, and it is estimated that it will have an impact of 4,400 million euros on the GDP of the region. The Government Council has approved the Declaration of General Interest of Aragon (DIGA) of the initiative to speed up the deadlines, with the works scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2005 and to be completed in 2029.

Cariñena is a town of about 3,000 inhabitants, excellently communicated by the A23 motorway with both Zaragoza, 50 km, and Valencia, 265 km.

About Box2Bit

Box2bit, founded in 2021, specializes in sustainable data centres, with a goal of 100% renewable energy consumption, and it is present in more than 5 countries.

Categories
Green Energy

Aragon attracts 700 million euro investment for hydrogen and green ammonia plant in the city of Caspe

Aragon reinforces its leadership in clean energies with an investment of 700 million euros to produce hydrogen and green ammonia

The President of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, has announced an important investment of 700 million euros by the company Alkeymia to build a hydrogen and green ammonia production plant in Caspe. This project has been declared a project of general interest for the region by the Government of Aragón and it is expected to start operating in 2025.

The plant will generate approximately 1,000 jobs during its construction phase and more than 85 direct jobs during its operation. This new complex will house two renewable energy plants will guarantee a sustainable supply, which will allow progress towards climate neutrality and reinforce Aragon’s position as a reference in the energy transition.

This project underscores Aragon’s ability to attract investment in strategic sectors, thanks to its propitious environment for the implementation of renewable energy and its advanced infrastructure for the development of new energy projects.

Aragon, a privileged environment for investment in renewable energy

Aragon offers a favourable environment for attracting investment in innovative sectors, especially in clean energy. The region has a strategic geographical location and a high potential in renewable resources such as the sun and wind, which facilitates the installation of energy generation infrastructures. In addition, the Government of Aragon has launched several initiatives to support research, development and implementation of sustainable technologies, including aid for the integration of renewable energies in mobility and logistics.

Aragon’s commitment to innovation and sustainability, together with a regulatory framework that favours investment and the development of large projects, has made the region a benchmark for decarbonization in Europe. This ecosystem, which combines public-private cooperation and institutional support, allows the region not only to attract large projects such as Alkeymia, but also to consolidate a business network committed to the green economy.

This project in Caspe and other initiatives, aligned with the European Green Pact, reinforce Aragon’s commitment to the energy transition, highlighting its role as a hub of innovation and sustainability in southern Europe.

Categories
Logistics Sin categoría

More investment for the development of the rail highway between Algeciras and Zaragoza

Aragón strengthens its position as a logistics hub with an investment of 30 million euros in the Algeciras-Zaragoza rail highway

The Spanish Government has earmarked nearly 30 million euros for the adaptation of 13 tunnels located between Cordoba and the municipality of Santa Cruz de Mudela, as part of the development of the rail highway that will connect Algeciras with Zaragoza. This investment is in addition to the adaptation works already underway on the section between Madrid and Zaragoza, where a total of 78 million euros has been invested. These actions are essential to allow the passage of trains loaded with semi-trailers through the railway network, improving the efficiency of intermodal transport.

With these new investments, the rail highway project has already mobilized more than 315 million euros, approaching the total estimated budget of 468 million euros. The project aims to boost freight transport between southern Europe and the rest of the continent, promoting a sustainable alternative to road transport. It is expected that, once the works are completed, up to six trains per day will be able to run between Algeciras and Zaragoza, also connecting with other ports and strategic regions of the peninsula.

Aragon, a benchmark in logistics and intermodal transport

Aragon has established itself as a key logistics hub in Spain, thanks to its strategic location and robust infrastructure. The region has important logistics platforms, such as the Zaragoza Logistics Platform (PLAZA), which is the largest in Europe and a hub for the distribution of goods by land, air and rail. The connection with the port of Algeciras through the new rail highway strengthens its capacity to attract investment and boost the regional economy.

In addition, the promotion of intermodality facilitates the integration of the different modes of transport, reducing costs and improving the sustainability of trade. Investments in rail infrastructure contribute to reducing dependence on road transport, in line with the objectives of sustainability and reduction of the carbon footprint. All this reinforces the attractiveness of Aragon for companies seeking a strategic base for the distribution of goods at national and European level.

Categories
Aragon Technology Hub

New 7.5 billion investment for Blackstone data center campus in Aragón

The President of the regional Government of Aragón, Jorge Azcón, announced the approval this Monday by the Governing Council of a Declaration of Autonomic Interest with General Interest (DIGA) that will allow the promotion of a new 224-hectare data center campus that Blackstone, one of the world’s largest investment firms, intends to develop in the Zaragoza town of Calatorao.

The proposed development represents an important business investment of up to 7.5 billion Euros, with a potential contribution of between 16.5 and 25.45 billion Euros to Aragon’s Gross Domestic Product over the next 25 years.

As explained by the head of the regional Executive during the presentation of this initiative, which took place in the Crown Hall of the Pignatelli building, headquarters of the Government of Aragon.

The planned investment will be made in the municipality of Calatorao, in industrial land located next to the A-2 motorway, seven kilometers from the urban center of Calatorao and in the area of influence of municipalities such as Lucena de Jalón, Épila or La Muela.

The project can generate up to 1,400 direct jobs in Calatorao and its surroundings in the technology and construction sectors.

“Without a doubt, Blackstone has been able to glimpse the immense potential that Aragón has. This great company is aware that no other territory in Europe has the conditions to host data center campuses in the way that Aragon does”, said Azcón.

The Aragonese president remarked the ‘great project’ of the company in ‘a strategic sector for the future’ and recalled that this bet responds to the fact that ‘Aragon has the talent, a privileged geographical location, an enviable ability to generate clean energy, natural resources, industrial land in large quantities and at a very competitive price and an unalterable social peace’.

Blackstone sources have expressed their satisfaction at being able to land in the autonomous community: “We are delighted with this announcement and to be able to work with the Government of Aragon and the rest of the parties involved in this project.

About Blackstone

Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. The firm seeks to deliver attractive returns to institutional and individual investors by strengthening the companies in which it invests.

Its assets under management, in excess of $1 trillion, include global investment strategies focused on real estate, private equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, credit, real assets, secondary assets and hedge funds.

Categories
Aragon Technology Hub Sin categoría

New 15.7 billion euro investment by Amazon Web Services to expand its data centres in Aragon

The Amazon Web Services project will support the creation of 6,800 full-time jobs annually in Aragon between 2024 and 2033. 
The President of the Government of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, announced this Wednesday the investment of 15.7 billion euros that Amazon Web Services (AWS) is going to make through its Cloud Region, located in Aragon, between 2024 and 2033, to expand its availability areas in the region, the largest economic investment by a company in the history of the autonomous region and the largest technological investment in Spain and southern Europe to date.  

In the words of the head of the regional government, ‘this new investment by AWS positions Aragon not only as a technological power in Spain, but also as a technological hub of the first order on a continental and global level’. 

Over the next decade, this project will support the creation of 17,500 full-time jobs per year in Spain, of which 6,800 will remain in Aragon. Of course, these new jobs will have an impact on the technology sector, but also on other economic areas of the autonomous community, which will benefit from the tractor effect of this initiative.  

The impact of this investment on Aragon’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will be colossal, around 12,900 million euros (of the 21,600 million euros expected to have an impact on Spain’s GDP), according to initial estimates. This figure is equivalent to more than 30% of Aragon’s current GDP which, at the end of 2022, the latest figure available, totalled 41,763 million euros. 

Also speaking at the announcement event was Suzana Curic, Managing Director of AWS in Spain and Portugal, who said: ‘Aragon was always our winning horse when we were considering where to locate our Region and our data centres. The availability of land, access to sustainable energy sources, a solid and consolidated business network, local talent and the huge growth potential were the main reasons why we had to be here. A year and a half after the opening of our centres, and with this new investment we are announcing today, we at AWS reinforce our commitment to Aragon and its people, as well as to Spain’. 

After announcing the investment, Azcón thanked Amazon Web Services for its decision to ‘choose our region to develop this historic project’. ‘Thank you for driving the transformation of our economy towards a more technological and sustainable model with such a promising future,’ he added. 

The president also congratulated the company ‘for having chosen the best possible place’. ‘Aragon has the talent, the natural resources, an international vocation and the privileged position to lead the changes that are going to shape our society’, he added. 

‘The Government of Aragon applauds your commitment and we will redouble our efforts to lead the European technology sector. We are going to do this through education, by multiplying the number of university places and vocational training degrees that are most in demand by companies. And, of course, as we announced last week, we are going to promote business activity related to technology through a large technology park of more than 40 hectares in Zaragoza that will come into being soon”, he added. 

AWS also highlighted its commitment to the training of talent and the
creation of technological jobs, recalling some of the different initiatives underway in Aragon, such as its Think Big Space programme to train students from local schools, or the different educational programmes available at a national level to help all kinds of audiences, from unemployed people looking to retrain, to more technical profiles who want to specialise, including programmes focused on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) initiatives to inspire young people to pursue technical studies in the future. 

The immense technological potential of Aragon 

President Azcón wanted to highlight that this new investment by Amazon Web Services responds to ‘the incredible potential of our land’. ‘Our geographical position allows us to be one of the main logistic hubs at national and European level and we have exceptional natural resources, which allow us to lead the generation of renewable energies’, he said. 

Furthermore, Aragon ‘enjoys a consolidated social peace, the same peace that has helped us decade after decade to grow within the competitive industrial market, because in Aragon we are all on the same side, on the side of dialogue and progress, of growth’. 

Source: Aragonhoy

Categories
Aragon Technology Hub

Microsoft announces its intention to build a data centre campus in Aragon to provide intelligent cloud services to European companies and public organisations

This new investment project by the company in Spain is in addition to the one already undertaken for the creation of Microsoft’s data centre region in Madrid, which will be available in the coming months. 
Microsoft’s planned new infrastructure in Spain could add 8.4 billion euros to national GDP and contribute to the creation of 69,000 indirect jobs in the period 2026 – 2030, according to an IDC analysis. 

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft plans to build a data centre campus in Aragon to provide cloud services to European companies and public bodies. The new infrastructure will add to the investment the company has made for the implementation of Microsoft’s data centre region in Madrid, which will be available in the coming months, and will offer all of Microsoft’s intelligent cloud services (Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform) to private and public customers in Europe, meeting regulatory, compliance and data sovereignty requirements. 

The campus that Microsoft plans to build will be a catalyst for innovation, economic growth and job creation in Aragon and the rest of Spain, helping to accelerate the digitisation of public and private organisations of all sizes and industries and driving the growth of the technology industry in Spain. According to an IDC analysis, the new data centre campus could add €8.4 billion to Spanish GDP and contribute to the creation of 69,000 indirect jobs in the period 2026 – 2030. 

Aragón, home to the new Project 

Aragon has positioned itself as one of the most important regions in Europe for the implementation of data centres, thanks to the availability of highly qualified talent, public support for innovation projects, the existence of high quality infrastructure, available land, and its geographical location. Microsoft’s project will foster innovation and the growth of the local technology industry in Aragon, where Microsoft has more than 300 companies in its ecosystem of technology partners. According to IDC, Microsoft’s data centre campus project could add 264 million euros to regional GDP and contribute to the creation of more than 2,100 technology jobs in Aragon between 2026 and 2030. 

“It fills me with great satisfaction that Aragón is consolidating its position as one of the leading European regions in a cutting-edge and strategic technological sector for the development of digitalisation and business innovation. The Microsoft project is a new incentive to Aragon’s vocation for attracting companies, especially those that, due to their international relevance and innovative nature, represent an extraordinary added value to the economy and the generation of wealth in our Autonomous Community.”

“The Government of Aragon is going to make every effort to implement this type of investment projects in the Autonomous Community, which will make a difference in generating a cutting-edge, highly technological economy and creating skilled jobs.” 

Jorge Azcón, President of the Government of Aragon

“Microsoft’s new investments in Spain will enable us to provide intelligent cloud solutions and services to businesses and public entities in Europe, fostering the digital transformation of businesses and public entities, driving innovation and contributing to the generation of new jobs in the technology sector in Aragon and the rest of Spain. We will work closely with national and regional governments and local authorities in building the data centre campus to ensure that people, businesses and society can take full advantage of the benefits of a digital world.”

Alberto Granados, president of Microsoft Spain
Categories
Aragon Technology Hub Green Energy

BWB will invest 230 million in a new data center and four solar plants in Aragon

Aragon continues to position itself as a benchmark in the digital economy as well as in the renewable energy sector

BWB's investment, born from the heat of Amazon Web Services, will create 2,200 jobs

The company Best Wonder Business (BWB) will launch a new data center in the Huesca Logistics Platform (Plhus) that will be powered entirely by solar energy produced by four photovoltaic plants that the company will install in the province of Zaragoza, in the municipalities of Perdiguera and Alfajarín, and which will connect with the Peñaflor substation.

This new business project that will involve a total investment of 230 million euros and the creation of 2,200 jobs is divided into three phases. The first phase is the construction of the four photovoltaic plants that will generate 178 MWp. Subsequently, the data processing center that will be installed on a 40,000-square-meter plot of land in Plhus generating 8 MW each phase. Both projects will be completed by the end of 2024.

The BWB project is almost the same size as that of the large multinationals but in this case it serves a complementary objective because they create a cabin where technical services are provided but the data is not processed. In other words, BWB offers a place to store and process information with all the redundant security systems, three individual power lines and restricted access.

Among the 2,200 jobs created, they will mostly require highly specialized personnel such as telecommunications and systems engineers, electrical and industrial engineers, as well as chemical and environmental engineers. 

For their operation, these centers require high energy consumption, hence the importance for BWB of simultaneously promoting the four solar plants planned in Alfajarín and Perdiguera, which will also allow it to guarantee the use of 100% renewable energy. Thus, the project will be considered eco-sustainable because it has large-scale batteries to reduce the price of electricity during peak hours, aerothermal energy for cooling and construction materials with a footprint carbon neutral.

A strategic sector

Antonio Macías, CEO of Bester – group where BWB is a part of – has assured that Aragon and Huesca in particular offer magnificent conditions for the installation of this type of company since the trunk fiber optic line that nests in Spain and joins the big capitals passes through here.

With this new business investment, Aragon continues to position itself as a benchmark in the digital economy, as well as in the renewable energy sector. The BWB center will be located in Plhus next to one of the three data centers promoted by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in our Autonomous Community, which will come into operation this year and in which the company estimates a total investment of 2,000 million euros and the generation of up to 1,300 jobs over the next ten years.

ICT infrastructures are the basis of the entire value chain of the new digital economy, which generates quality employment, improves services, encourages the creation of start-ups and companies with greater added value and facilitates equal opportunities.

Source: Aragonhoy

Categories
Pharmaceutical

The world’s leading company in hormonal therapies, Besins Healthcare, installs its newest factory in Aragon

Aragon attracts another pharmaceutical company to install its first factory in Spain
The 25-million-euro investment will create 150 highly qualified jobs

Besins Healthcare, world leadeing company in novel therapies for gynecology, fertility, obstetrics, endocrinology and andrology, has chosen the town of Muel (Zaragoza) to install its first factory in Spain. The pharmaceutical multinational acquired a 9,800-square-meter warehouse in the industrial area El Pitarco to carry out this investment, which will reach 25 million euros and create 150 stable highly qualified jobs.

The plant is expected to start manufacturing in the second half of 2022. Construction works are already underway, soon part of the equipment will be installed so that it can be tested starting this summer. According to company sources, there could be additional future investments, “given that we are talking about a stable process of decades.” Besins has assured that, as a company in a constant research process, they contemplate the production of new creation products at the Muel plant destined for the whole world.

This new business project will be declared of Regional Interest by the Government of Aragon, which will make it possible to shorten administrative process times. In addition to this declaration, the Department of Economy, Planning and Employment is already processing, together with the company, its application file for Regional Economic Incentives. The President of Aragon, Javier Lambán, declared that this investment is particularly welcome as it is implanted in a rural area, contributing to its revitalization.

Why did Besins choose Aragon?

Besins Healthcare has chosen Aragon to install its first plant in Spain due to factors such as its geographical location and communication routes. In addition, the proximity of Muel to the University of Zaragoza facilitates the hiring or attraction of qualified personnel. Another decisive cause that has led the managers of the company to settle in Muel is the immediate availability of a spacious and empty warehouse that allows, in a short time, the integration of all the necessary facilities for the production of medicines. 

Besides, according to the president of the French company, Antoine Besins, choosing Aragon has responded to objective industrial parameters. Although, among all the candidate countries -mandatorily belonging to the European Union for the application of mandatory pharmaceutical standards-, the “excellent” reception of the authorities and the facilities for the establishment of companies in the sector has entailed a keypoint to make this decision.

The Department of Economy, Planning and Employment, through Aragón Exterior (AREX), began working in 2019 on attracting the investment project of this company. Up to 14 Autonomous Communities presented location proposals in their territory. Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium or Ireland have competed with Spain, and within Spain, Aragón was the most competitive region for its dynamism and adaptation to the needs of the company. 

A leading company

Besins Healthcare is a family business specialized in the development and commercialization of hormonal therapies for the treatment of gynecology and obstetrics, fertility, endocrinology and andrology. It currently produces and markets more than thirty different products that are prescribed in one hundred countries around the world.

One of the mainstays of the company is constant research. Thanks to it, it has been possible to discover innovative technologies that have an impact on improving the health of women and men throughout their lives. Besins Healthcare products include natural progesterone for pregnant women, transdermal gel for testosterone deficiency syndrome, or estradiol replacement therapies during menopause.

Source: Aragonhoy