Regions

Aragon is a region in constant growth and is home to over 100 international companies such as PSA (Opel), BSH, Alliance Healthcare and Adidas, among many others. Aragon is also considered the second most dynamic region in Spain, and the place where more companies are created than anywhere else in the country.

Aragon has been named one of the most promising regions in southern Europe by the Financial Times.

Aragon offers the best combination in time and cost for setting up a business: companies enjoy easy access to its institutions, which is difficult to find elsewhere; access to politicians and local government at the outset, is quick and direct.

Investment incentives may be as high as 35%.

Aragon is located in the heart of Spain's most industrialized regions. 70% of Spain's GDP and 50% of its population are located within a radius of 300km.

38% of the logistics area in Spain is in Aragon. Zaragoza is home to the PLAZA logistics platform, among the top five of its kind in Europe: an intermodal space with 1,300 hectares of industrial land and the availability of large spaces of over 200,000 m2. Other platforms such as PLATEA in Teruel and PLHUS and PLFRAGA in Huesca are also in Aragon, in addition to large industrial parks in well-connected locations close to the main towns.

Its extensive network of infrastructures also includes:

a.    Rail connections: Both the railway line that transports the highest volume of goods in Spain and the second largest dry port in the country are in Aragon. Furthermore, the high-speed train that links Zaragoza with Madrid and Barcelona in one hour and 15 minutes has reinforced the city’s position as a strategic business hub between those two main points.

b.    Air connections: Zaragoza International Airport is among the three largest cargo airports in Spain in terms of volume and has direct commercial flights to major European cities.

PLATA Teruel Airport is the largest industrial MRO in Europe and has a long-term parking area of 120 ha for up to 250 aircraft.

c.    Road connections: Truck delivery in 16 hours to the main European destinations (Paris, Milan, Düsseldorf…) and in four hours to Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Bilbao.

The University of Zaragoza is at the forefront of higher education in Aragon with over 34,000 students. And a wide array of specialized vocational schools make certain that the training requirements of businesses are met.

With 1.3 million inhabitants, Aragon guarantees a selection of suitable candidates for each company. The quality of life in Aragon and its lower cost of living ensure that labor costs can be maintained below the Spanish average.

Workforce loyalty is highly valued by businesses, as staff turnover in Aragon is ten points below the national average, which leads to considerable advances in company productivity in the region.

Creativity, loyalty, efficiency and excellent language skills are what companies value most in Aragonese employees.

Aragon's commitment to RDI has produced a number of outstanding centers:

The Aragon Institute for Engineering Research (I3A) was created to transmit the results of university research to society and actively support the technological innovation of Aragonese companies.

The Aragon Institute of Technology (ITAINNOVA) is affiliated with the government of Aragon and works to resolve the technology needs of companies and to  introduce technological innovations in factories.

The Zaragoza Logistics Center (ZLC) (MIT – Zaragoza International Logistics Program) is a research and training center that works along with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for Transportation & Logistics.

The Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI) is a research center at the University of Zaragoza that promotes interdisciplinarity.

The Agri-food Research and Technology Center of Aragon (CITA) works to ensure ongoing innovation in farming and agro-industrial companies.

The Aula Dei Science and Technology Park (PCTAD) works to identify the technology needs of agri-food and biotechnology companies and refer them to research groups. It offers access to technology and knowledge to the business sector.

The Research Center for Energy Resources and Consumption (CIRCE) aims to promote improvements in energy efficiency and the deployment of renewable energies by developing RDI activities and training.

The Hydrogen Foundation is a private non-profit research center created to promote the use of hydrogen as an energy vector.

Aitiip Technology Center incorporates many management, engineering and industrial processes to offer companies an all-inclusive service

The main objective of Zaragoza Center. is to monitor and control automobile accidents and to promote road safety.

Technopark Motorland is a unique 220,000 m2 complex devoted exclusively to the automotive industry to test and promote vehicles.

Aragon Institute of Nanoscience (INA) is part of the University of Zaragoza and focuses on RDI in nanoscience. Thanks to its highly qualified research and technical staff and state-of-the-art facilities, it is a benchmark in Europe in the field of nanoscience.

The Aragon Materials Science Institute (ICMA) is a center that conducts research into materials and that reports to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and UNIZAR.

The Aragonese people are among the Europeans that are most satisfied with their quality of life because Aragon offers many ideal factors to ensure balance between work and family life: professional opportunities, first-rate education, a wide range of cultural and leisure activities, one of the lowest crime rates in Europe, sunshine practically every day of the year, over 75% of families walk to school with their children, a cuisine to satisfy the most demanding palates, etc. Add to that a diverse geography and landscape that makes Aragon a unique place to enjoy nature.

Zaragoza ranks eighth among Spanish cities in terms of quality of life, ahead of Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.