Data centres in Spain: investment, energy and regulation take centre stage in the debate in Madrid

Meridiana organized a new event Meridiana Meetups – MIPIM at the offices of ECIJA in Madrid, supported by KEO International Consultants, which brought together leading companies from the data centres, investment, and energy sectors to analyze the rise of this new wave of investment and development, and its limitations.

The event began with an opening speech by Alejandro Touriño, managing partner of ECIJA, who highlighted how digital technology is transforming traditionally real estate-related sectors and emphasized the strategic opportunity that Spain currently represents in the development of digital infrastructures.

Capital, demand and strategic positioning

Moderated by Iván Azinovic, partner at ECIJA, the first roundtable focused on the growth of data centres as critical infrastructure for the Spanish economy, digitalization, and competitiveness within the European market of this sector.

Francisco Porras from Merlin Properties explained how artificial intelligence is accelerating the need for new digital infrastructure and highlighted Spain’s strong competitiveness to meet this demand, thanks to exceptional connectivity, energy availability, and access to industrial land.

But where do we place this land? From the demand perspective, Natalia Maeso, Cloud Regions Lead at Microsoft, explained that instead of asking 'where', they are asking 'with whom'.

They prioritize connected ecosystems that encompass energy, connectivity, regulation, and above all, talent; in this regard, she emphasized the need to integrate this infrastructure into the very fabric of daily life to attract skilled talent.

She referred to the theory of the 'container': everyone wants one nearby because it is useful, but no one wants one in front of their house.

Begoña Villacís, executive director of Spain DC, expanded on this idea by emphasizing the need to break the prejudices surrounding data centres and help citizens understand their purpose and necessity.

Both talked about the case of Aragón as a success story. The region has managed to position itself as one of the main hubs for attracting large investments and international talent thanks to administrative agility and public-private collaboration.

From the investor's perspective, Jaime Mielgo, associate director of investments at Azora, analyzed the challenges that institutional capital still faces when investing in the sector, especially due to rapid technological change, regulatory uncertainty, and the difficulty of establishing stable long-term models.

In this regard, Begoña concluded by highlighting the need for a strategic and joint vision for the sector, emphasizing the key role of data centres in European competitiveness and Spain’s economic growth, and the need to reduce regulatory barriers and streamline administrative processes.

“The Internet is physical, and data centres are already critical infrastructure for the new digital economy.”

The limits of growth: energy, efficiency, and regulation as critical factors

The debate, led by Víctor de Pablo, Corporate Development Director of Mediterra Datacenters, focused on the challenges the sector will face to maintain the strong growth expected for data centres in Spain, especially in areas such as energy, regulation, sustainability, and technological adaptability.

During the debate, Raquel Escudero, Business Development Director of QUARK, highlighted that Spain currently has enough energy capacity to meet the sector's growth, although she emphasized the need to improve distribution, planning, and administrative processes to keep pace with demand.

Meanwhile, Xavier Domènech, division director of PGI Data Centers, analyzed how regulation and new regulatory frameworks are directly impacting project development, as well as the importance of finding hybrid solutions and alternative energy models to maintain the sector's competitiveness. For his part, Pablo Jimeno, associate director of Sustainability at KEO International Consultants, highlighted how sustainability and efficiency have ceased to be complementary elements and have become structural factors in the design and development of new data centres.

During the debate, the need to stop viewing data centres solely through the lens of their energy impact and start seeing them as an opportunity for innovation and urban integration was also emphasized. Among the examples mentioned were projects capable of reusing the heat generated by these facilities for local heating systems or community hot water supply.

Participants emphasized that these advances require greater collaboration between operators and public authorities.

The session concluded with a presentation by Albert Castro, CEO and founder of Meridiana, official representative of MIPIM in the Iberian Peninsula, who linked the concepts of talent, investment, connectivity, and international collaboration with the role MIPIM plays as a global meeting point to accelerate opportunities and growth.

The event concluded with a cocktail reception and a networking session for companies, investors, and professionals in the sector, once again consolidating the Meridiana Meetups as a strategic hub within the international MIPIM community.

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