Google will invest more than €500million in Spain over the next five years. This amount will be used to drive Spain’s digital transformation and help Spanish companies and public services with its challenges, such as cyber security.
Help with digital transformation Spanish companies and public services
One of the multinational’s plans is to establish Spain’s first “Google Cloud Region” in Madrid. This is due to the announced agreement with Telefonica and the submarine cable between the United States, Spain and the United Kingdom. This will allow Spanish companies and public services to accelerate their digital transformation and improved cloud services. Furthermore, it will enable them to perform better digitally.
Google Cloud Region in Madrid and knowledge centre in Malaga
On Thursday, Google also announced that it plans to set up a cybersecurity knowledge centre in Malaga, Spain. The envisaged building on Paseo de la Farola will provide training, lectures and workshops in the field of cyber security. Research can also be carried out as well as product development in the field of digital transformation.
Spain is lagging behind in the digital field
Google reports that before the pandemic, only 14% of companies in Spain had innovation plans in the field of digitization. Furthermore, only 16% of companies currently use cloud services.
In addition, the European Center for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) points out that 43% of Spaniards between the ages of 16 and 74 do not have basic knowledge of digital assets. This is a worrying situation. It is expected that by 2025 almost 70% of employment in Spain will be filled by people with a medium to high level of digital knowledge.
Boost for Spanish companies and government services
The CEO of Google Spain, Fuencisla Clemares, said that the Google Cloud Region, together with the knowledge centre, will help companies and public services become more scalable and work more efficiently. It will foster innovative growth and prepare Spain for the challenges of digital transformation, such as cyber security.
