Chueca highlights in Brussels the sustainable Zaragoza that attracts young talent and qualified employment

The Mayor of Zaragoza, Natalia Chueca, participated this Thursday in Brussels in the Mayors-Businesses Forum, an event organized by the European Commission within the Smart Cities Challenge Conference. During her speech, Chueca highlighted the sustainable city model that Zaragoza promotes, making it a magnet for investors, companies and highly qualified young people.

As Commissioner for Industry and Competitiveness of Eurocities, the main network of European cities, Chueca has highlighted how Zaragoza has aligned its strategies with the European Green Deal, the EU Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Thanks to this, the city has managed to establish itself as one of the “lighthouse cities” within the Mission One Hundred Climate Neutral and Smart Cities.

One of the great achievements in this process has been the arrival of investments from multinational technology companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Inditex and CATL, for a total value of 43 billion euros. The mayor has pointed out that these investments have contributed to the development of advanced technologies in public transport, including autonomous driving tests and innovative projects in urban distribution of goods using drones.

In addition to the commitment to sustainable mobility and urban transformation, Chueca has highlighted the importance of administrative simplification and legal security as key elements to strengthen Zaragoza’s competitiveness. They also point out that the reduction of bureaucracy and the creation of a stable regulatory framework will facilitate the establishment of new companies and attract greater foreign investment.

The mayor also expressed her concern about the tariff policies of the European Union in relation to other powers, highlighting the need to establish clear and fair regulations that allow cities to compete on equal terms at a global level. According to Chueca, ensuring a homogeneous regulatory framework is essential for strategic sectors such as agriculture and the automotive industry.

In his speech, Chueca reflected on the challenge of balancing growth opportunities linked to sustainability with current regulatory requirements. He warned that if cities fail to be competitive, young people will be forced to emigrate in search of better job opportunities, affecting the development and social cohesion of the territory.

The Smart Cities Challenge Conference is an initiative of the European Commission that supports cities in their ecological and digital transition. Through Local Green Deal, the ICC helps to improve economic competitiveness, social resilience and quality of life in European cities. In this context, Zaragoza is positioned as a benchmark in the implementation of sustainable and technologically advanced policies.