Aragon

Aragon has repositioned itself as Spain's renewable energy hub, attracting €70 billion in investments that are transforming an inland region into a data center destination of European significance. Three data centers in Zaragoza province alone represent €12 billion in investment, promising 4,000 construction jobs annually over eight years and 3,000 permanent operational positions. The region's competitive advantage: renewable energy powering 50% of data center consumption through self-generation.

Zaragoza's geographic position—where transport routes from Spain's dynamic coastal regions meet southern France—created the original logistics advantage. PLAZA, a 13 million m² intermodal platform integrating rail, airport, and highway, exemplifies infrastructure-driven development. The MIT-affiliated Zaragoza Logistics Center provides research and training. This logistics foundation attracted automotive manufacturing that diversified into agricultural and construction machinery. Now renewable energy adds a third layer, with projects like Alkeymia's €700 million hydrogen and green ammonia plant in Caspe (operational 2025).

The pattern follows ecological succession: initial transport infrastructure attracted manufacturing, manufacturing attracted logistics optimization, and both attracted energy-intensive industries seeking competitive power. Wind installations like Repsol's 335 MW Delta Wind Park supply the growing load. Aragon demonstrates how landlocked regions can compete with coastal centers when renewable resources substitute for port access—turning wind and open space into strategic assets rather than limitations.