Zaragoza, capital of the former Kingdom of Aragón, is the fifth city in Spain in terms of population with 700,000 inhabitants. It is located in the north-east of Spain, in the centre of the Ebro Valley. It is equidistant from Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Bilbao – the four cities are at 300 Km away approximately – and connects with Europe through the Pyrenees becoming a strategic enclave for communications.
The strategic location of Zaragoza is helping to make logistics and supply chain management one of the most powerful sectors in the local economy. The main economic sector during the last decades has been the metal and the automotive sector. In Zaragoza there is one of the main factories of the Opel- GM group, now PSA factory.
PLAZA, the largest logistics platform in the southern Europe, covering 12,800,000 m2. The training given in the Zaragoza Logistic Center, in cooperation with the Massachussets Technological Institute, has turned Zaragoza into an international reference point supported by the growth in its airport, which is now the second most important in Spain for air cargo and has regular air services to destinations on the five continents.
The establishment of big trademarks in the industrial area of Zaragoza diversifies as well the production; it is worth mentioning the commitment to renewable energies, recycling and sustainable development.
The growth of the Zaragoza Exhibition Centre stands out as it has become the third most important in Spain, both in events organized and in the economic volume generated. Moreover, it works with high technology equipment making it as a reference point as city of meetings with two conference centers: Zaragoza’s Auditorium and the Palacio de Congresos Expo Aragón.
It is a city full of lively spaces: large squares, spacious pedestrian areas in the centre, an area known for its bars, a huge city park, kilometres of bike lanes, etc. Zaragoza is one of those destinations where it is easy to feel at home. The city revolves around the large Plaza del Pilar, the setting for the city’s main celebrations. ‘El Tubo’, the quintessential district for tapas, is just five minutes from the iconic square. Zaragoza stands next to one of Spain’s most important rivers, the Ebro.
Visitors and residents alike can ride a bicycle along part of its banks, from the old town to the Luis Buñuel Metropolitan Park. On the way they can admire the different designs of its bridges, from the historical Puente de Piedra, stone bridge, to the avant-garde Pabellón Puente.