Announced in The Wave: Zaragoza will host a major international forum on data centers

Zaragoza is reinforcing its role as a European technology hub with a new step in the global race for Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Aragonese capital will host the AI ​​City Summit on February 16 and 17, an international event bringing together governments, technology companies, and digital infrastructure operators to address the economic, energy, and regulatory impact of the new data economy.

The announcement was made at The Wave event and once again places Zaragoza at the heart of the technology sector. According to José Friebel , growth director of InfraXMedia, the organizing company, artificial ntelligence and data centers represent “an economic opportunity unseen for decades,” but also a challenge for public administrations.

ZARAGOZA, EUROPEAN MEETING POINT

The event will bring together representatives from the European Commission, national overnments and regional and local administrations, along with AI operators, data center developers, energy, technology and investment companies.

The goal, according to Friebel, is to bring together all the key players to address strategic issues such as energy use , regulatory frameworks, the impact on employment, and the social and environmental consequences of these infrastructures.

The AI ​​City Summit will also be the first step in a global network of events that will replicate the model in Latin America, the United States, the Middle East, and Asia, with cities like Rio de Janeiro, Austin, Abu Dhabi, and Kuala Lumpur as future venues. This roadmap aims to transform these gatherings into international “Davos-style” forums on the artificial intelligence economy.

ARAGON, TECHNOLOGY HUB IN EUROPE

The announcement comes amidst rapid growth in the sector in Aragon. Begoña Villacís, director of Data Center Dynamics, has stated that Aragon is already a leading technology hub in southern Europe, a claim supported by the figures.

According to reports, the region has gone from concentrating 10% of the data center capacity to 24% in just one year, surpassing territories like Catalonia and with the possibility of leading the national ranking before 2030. “The name of Aragon is already circulating in many multinational technology companies. It has been discussed in Silicon Valley,” Villacís stated, emphasizing that this positioning is the result of successful strategic decisions made in recent years.

ENERGY: CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY

The sector’s growth, however, also opens up the energy debate. Villacís acknowledged that there is “some concern,” although she clarified that current data center consumption represents only 0.8% of the total in Spain .

Far from seeing it as a problem, he has framed it as an opportunity. Spain, he reminded everyone, is a major producer of renewable energy and has even had to waste surpluses due to a lack of demand. “We have to find a way to make that energy profitable,” he stated, pointing to the need to invest in grids.