Amazon Web Services (AWS) has placed Aragón at the center of its growth strategy in Europe with a historic investment that will shape the technological development of the region for decades to come. The autonomous community not only hosts state-of-the-art data centers, but it is also emerging as a key node in the company’s technological value chain, integrating innovation, sustainability, and job creation.
In this interview with Go Aragón, David Fernández, Director of Operations for the AWS Infrastructure Region in Spain, details the factors that have driven this investment, the most in-demand professional profiles, the collaboration with the local business environment, and the role that Aragón will play as a European technology hub in the coming years, with a special focus on artificial intelligence and the circular economy.
What factors made Aragón stand out compared to other European regions for this AWS investment?
Response: «Aragón brought together a unique combination of factors that made it the ideal location. First, we have exceptional institutional support: the Government of Aragón has been a strategic partner from day one, sharing our long-term vision. Second, the region offers extraordinary potential for carbon-free energy. In fact, the AWS data centers in Aragón have been compensating the energy they use with 100% renewable energy since we began operations in November 2022.
Moreover, Aragón’s geographic location is exceptional as it allows us to offer low latency to the entire Iberian Peninsula, as well as to North Africa and southern France. Lastly, the local talent ecosystem, with universities, vocational training centers, and a growing technological business network, has also been a factor to consider. Today, with the expansion announced a few weeks ago, we are the first technology company to invest in digital infrastructure across all three provinces of Aragón: Zaragoza, Huesca, and Teruel.»
«Aragón will not only host data centers: it will be a nerve center of the technological value chain of AWS.»
What types of services or technologies will be especially promoted from Aragón?
«Currently, we operate with three Availability Zones in Villanueva de Gállego, El Burgo de Ebro, and Huesca. This allows customers from all over Spain, Europe, and the world to access cloud computing services, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, IoT, and much more, with low latency and the assurance that their data will reside on Spanish soil.
But we go beyond traditional cloud infrastructure. We plan to build supply chain facilities in Aragón that will include a manufacturing and assembly plant for servers, a logistics warehouse, and, something I am particularly proud of, a facility for the manufacturing and repair of AI/ML servers, which is a key component of our circular economy strategy. Aragón will not only host data centers: it will be a nerve center of the technological value chain of AWS.»
What professional profiles will be most in demand in the coming years within this project?
«The planned investment of 33.7 billion euros by 2035 will generate a consistent demand for diverse talent. It is estimated that we will support an average of 13,400 full-time jobs annually in local companies in Aragón, of which 4,200 will be jobs derived from Amazon’s direct investment.
The profiles include operations managers, electrical and mechanical engineers, data center technicians, hardware technicians, logistics experts, and security professionals. Additionally, the new supply chain facilities will generate approximately 1,800 additional jobs when they are operational.»
How is AWS collaborating with local companies and providers in Aragón?
«Our philosophy is to grow alongside the local business community. More than half of the economic impact of our investment (18.5 billion euros in contribution to GDP) is concentrated directly in Aragón. Local companies such as Hiberus Tecnología, which already has around 3,500 employees and over 200 AWS specialists; Levitec, which grew from 80 to over 400 employees in five years; or ALAN Commissioning, which increased from 2 to 65 employees in a few years and developed a pioneering certification in data centers, are real examples of how our presence is transforming and driving the Aragón business landscape and talent.
