The great challenge for Aragon with 70 billion euros: to secure investments and 35,000 jobs without collapsing

This is a pivotal moment in economic terms. Aragon is preparing for the challenges and opportunities presented by the 43 strategic investments declared to be of regional interest in the Community , which already total almost 70 billion euros (69.284 billion to be exact) in the construction phase (CAPEX) and exceed 140% of Aragon’s GDP.

The Basilio Paraíso Foundation , linked to the Zaragoza Chamber of Commerce , presented its latest report on the impact of strategic investments this Thursday in the Aragonese capital. This work, which for the first time quantifies the aggregate effect of these projects on the regional economy, complements the study presented in September on the influence of the deployment of data centers in Aragon.

JOB TSUNAMI

The report provides a detailed projection of the construction phase and places the main impact in the four-year period from 2026 to 2029, with a turning point in 2026 when investment will double compared to 2025, rising from approximately €3.5 billion to around €7 billion. It is therefore already a present-day issue that will only increase in the coming years.

The most striking leap is in employment : from 15,182 jobs sustained in 2025, it will reach 50,031 in 2028, the year in which projects such as the large data centers of Amazon and Microsoft, the Stellantis-CATL gigafactory or the green hydrogen plants will converge.

This increase represents 35,000 additional jobs in just three years, with 52% of the total concentrated in construction and materials and 39% in technical and professional services. Among the most in-demand profiles are construction workers, welders, industrial assemblers, electrical installers, and project engineers. This will pose one of the main challenges to be addressed by Aragon , a region where current unemployment is already structural.

Tensions are expected, especially in the construction sector, where the housing boom is also becoming a burden. The Foundation has also pointed out that this report, which already warns of this situation, does not take into account other projects without DIGA (Environmental Impact Assessment) approval, such as Leapmotor’s arrival in Aragon or the new Romareda stadium.

THE YEAR 2028, THE YEAR OF BIG NUMBERS

2028 promises to be the peak year for activity, with all strategic investments generating €2.844 billion in Gross Value Added ( GVA )—equivalent to 5.8% of the regional GDP—and supporting more than 8% of total employment in Aragon. The pace and simultaneous nature of these projects paint a very different picture than in previous years and significantly increase logistical and management complexity.

The Foundation also focuses on the capacity of local businesses, SMEs, to integrate into the value chain of these projects. Construction accounts for €8.705 billion in GVA , 43% of the total impact, and technical and professional services account for €5.723 billion (28%).

A CHALLENGE FOR SMEs AND MORE THAN JUST DATA CENTERS

The report warns that not all Aragonese SMEs have the necessary technical, financial, or organizational structure to compete with firms from outside the region. Capturing a larger share of this business volume is key to ensuring that the wealth generated remains in the region and is not outsourced.

“The report underlines that it is a historic opportunity, but also a challenge: retaining the impact in Aragon will depend on the availability of labor, industrial and logistical capacity, qualified services and strategic management that avoids bottlenecks ,” said Óscar Lobera, author of the study.

Although much of the media attention in recent months has focused on the large data centers being attracted, it has been emphasized that this report broadens the scope to include all major investments with current Digital Investment Groups (DIGAs) and quantifies their overall impact. These projects include not only technology hubs but also large-scale initiatives such as the Toro project (CATL and Stellantis’s gigafactory) and other clean energy projects.

CHALLENGES AND CONCLUSIONS

The document identifies eight specific challenges – from employment and business size to coordination, critical infrastructure and opportunity cost – and proposes seven lines of action so that Aragon can maximize the impact retained in the territory and not lose competitiveness compared to other regions that also compete for global investments.

In short, it paints a picture of Aragon with profound opportunities for economic transformation, conditioned, however, on the ability to articulate coherent training, logistical and strategic responses to sustain growth that could mark a new stage for the productive and social fabric of the Community.