Aragon rides the tech wave with The Wave: “We’re sending an ambitious message”

Aragon is a land of opportunity , and besides beaches, it has everything , or almost everything. This is the dogma upheld by the Government of Aragon, led by President  Jorge Azcón and his deputy,  Mar Vaquero. Both spearhead a project working to transform the region into what has been dubbed the ” Virginia of Europe” through technological development. From this Wednesday through Friday, all of this will be consolidated among entrepreneurs, students, and institutions through the “most important technological event in the history of the region.” This is the second edition of The Wave.

“We knew this was going to happen and that technology was going to transform our economy. We’re going to seize the moment. In the present, we’re going to see the future,” Azcón began, reiterating that the multi-billion-dollar investments announced in recent months (up to 37 billion by 2024) by major companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Stellantis in the region are key to being pioneers in technology.

Of course, conferences like The Wave are also key, as they represent the perfect opportunity for Aragon to consolidate its position as the leading technology hub in Southern Europe and lead the digital transformation. “Aragon is sending an ambitious and legitimate message. It is a key player in the technological leadership that marks a change of era. Aragon looks to the world, and the world looks to us, the Aragonese,” stated Vice President Vaquero, who added that the region is a land of talent, hard work, and hospitality. “Trusting in Aragon is worth it,” stated the Minister of Economy, who closed her speech by quoting Victor Hugo‘s famous saying: “There is nothing better than a dream to develop the future.”

So, for now, the train is already rolling, and Aragon has much to offer the technology sector: a good geographic location, energy resources, logistics, and also talent. “Energy, technology, and productivity are positioning us globally. The largest technological investments being made in Europe are coming to Aragon, and they are the reason why we are the most competitive region and why productivity can multiply,” Azcón said proudly. 

THE INAUGURATION

The event, held at the Zaragoza Congress Palace, kicked off a few minutes after 10:00 a.m. with a countdown reminiscent of a Hollywood science fiction film. With the countdown at zero, the event gave way to a futuristic opening ceremony with live music. It was hosted by actress, writer, and singer Nikol Kollars (in English) and presenter and voice actor Adrián Buenaventura (in Spanish).

Just minutes after the presentation and institutional opening, the Artificial Intelligence at the heart of this conference took center stage through the figure of Wavy, a digital avatar who introduced himself as Aragonese and stubborn. “Aragon is increasingly heard around the world. I’m Aragonese, and I couldn’t have been born in a better place,” Wavy responded after speaking with Vice President Vaquero. 

In short, this technology forum transforms Zaragoza and Aragon into the epicenter of innovation for three days, and it does so in style, tripling the business presence at the venue and also the number of registrants, which reaches 10,000. “If I had to summarize what The Wave is compared to a year ago, it would be The Wave times three. We have something to be grateful for and proud of,” the DGA leader emphasized. 

AI ADVANCEMENT WITH AMAZON

The purpose of these next three days is to analyze the advancement of Artificial Intelligence and see how this technological revolution is driving the transformation of businesses and a new society. This was emphasized in the first presentation, given by Amazon Web Services.

Sasha Rubel, Head of Public Affairs for Generative AI at AWS, announced during the opening keynote that it’s time to “democratize access to AI,” and that the North American company will therefore offer Amazon’s generative AI services to Aragonese society.

“All organizations will be able to implement AI with AWS technology. The future is technology-enabled and human-centered,” he emphasized. This idea is realized through the operation of the Amazon Bedrock and Amazon Nova models that AWS data centers in Aragon will offer to companies seeking to innovate.

Microsoft’s data centers will consume no water

Microsoft has also announced an innovative data center design that uses no water for cooling. By implementing cooling solutions at the chip level, this new design ensures precise temperature control without relying on water evaporation. These new liquid cooling technologies recirculate water through a closed loop . Once the system is filled during construction, it continuously circulates water between the servers and cooling equipment to dissipate heat without requiring additional water supply.

The application of this new cooling design to the Artificial Intelligence and Cloud infrastructure that Microsoft plans to build in Spain has been announced by Eoin Doherty, Microsoft’s vice president of cloud operations and innovation in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, during his speech at The Wave.

“Our zero-water data center design is an important step forward in our goal of delivering a sustainable, high-performance cloud that benefits both businesses and citizens,” he emphasized. “At Microsoft, we work to build and operate digital infrastructures that not only drive innovation, but also address societal challenges and benefit the communities we serve. Water is a precious resource, and we are committed to improving its efficient use in our data centers.” 

CREATE VOCATIONS

At the same time, and beyond the direct impact on companies, The Wave also seeks to inspire new generations and create new vocations. “Our students will be able to direct their academic or professional training toward a sector with enormous potential,” the vice president assured the media this week.

Along these lines, the prelude to the technology event on Tuesday allowed around 100 participants, divided into around 20 multidisciplinary teams, to develop innovative projects for sectors such as mobility, aeronautics, and territorial development. This took place through a Hackathon in Etopia sponsored by Microsoft.

Amazon Web Services (AWS), as a founding partner of the event in collaboration with the Government of Aragon, also has a lot to say. In fact, during the congress setup this Monday, its general manager for Spain, Suzana Curic, stated that ” Aragon is positioning itself” as a technological benchmark, and this event demonstrates this. “There is a lot of interest in Aragon, and we believe this will continue to grow.”