SODERCAN and the University of Cantabria will analyze the impact of the Altamira Campus

The Society for the Regional Development of Cantabria, S.A. (SODERCAN) and the University of Cantabria (UC) have signed a collaboration agreement to carry out an analysis of the socioeconomic impact of the Altamira Technological Campus in the autonomous community. The agreement is published in the Official Gazette of Cantabria no. 179, dated September 17, 2026, through the resolution with reference CVE-2026-7210, signed in Santander on September 10, 2026, by the CEO of SODERCAN, Ángel Pedraja Terán.

A study to quantify the project’s contribution

The purpose of the agreement is the development of a joint collaboration project between SODERCAN, S.A. and the University of Cantabria consisting of an analysis of the socioeconomic impact of the Altamira Project in Cantabria, in order to quantify and analyze its contribution to the regional economy, employment, the productive fabric, innovation, and territorial development. The study will include the estimation of direct, indirect, and induced effects derived from the investment, construction, commissioning, and expected activity of the project, as well as any necessary future projections.

The methodology is based on an input-output approach applied to Cantabria and on variants of the Leontief model, focusing on production, sales, gross value added, contribution to regional GDP, employment, wages and salaries, gross operating surplus, and taxes. The agreement falls under Law 14/2011, of June 1, on Science, Technology, and Innovation, and is subject to the regime of Law 40/2015, of October 1, on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector; its publication is arranged in accordance with article 163.3 of Law 5/2018, of November 22, on the Legal Regime of the Government and the Institutional Public Sector of Cantabria.

Responsible parties and monitoring bodies

• On behalf of the University of Cantabria, the lead researcher is Pablo Coto Millán, Professor of Fundamentals of Economic Analysis, who will provide the R&D&i group ‘Fundamentals of Economic Analysis’ to the project.
• On behalf of SODERCAN, the management and coordination of the collaboration corresponds to Alfredo Cuesta Expósito, Director of Business Creation, Innovation, and Consolidation.
• The agreement is signed by Ángel Pedraja Terán for SODERCAN and Luigi dell’Olio, Vice-Rector for Research, Transfer, and Doctorate of the UC.
• A joint monitoring commission will be established, consisting of two members, one appointed by each party, responsible for coordinating, supervising, and validating the results.

Financing, validity, and justification

The total cost of the agreement for its period of validity, excluding taxes, amounts to 17,500 euros, contributed 20% by the University of Cantabria and 80% by SODERCAN. The contribution from the public company is 14,000 euros plus the corresponding VAT, charged to budget application 12.06.461A.740.07 of Cantabria Law 4/2026, of April 28, on the General Budgets of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria for 2026.

The agreement enters into force upon its signing and ends on December 31, 2026. The justification will include a final socioeconomic impact report validated by the monitoring commission, a certification from the UC accrediting the destination of the funds, and certificates of being up to date with the State Tax Administration Agency, the Cantabrian Tax Administration Agency, and the General Treasury of the Social Security, within a period not exceeding two months from the completion of the work.

The promoting project: a 500 MW data center

The Altamira Technological Campus is promoted by XDC Properties, a subsidiary of the Stoneshield Capital group, through the entity XDC North Coast, S.L.U. The project is based on a data center for cloud and artificial intelligence with 500 MW of power, considered a strategic action for Cantabria due to its potential contribution to the generation of economic activity, job creation, attraction of investment, revitalization of industrial and advanced service companies, and the improvement of regional technological competitiveness.

The agreement provides that the ownership and title of the exploitation rights derived from the collaboration shall be shared between the UC and SODERCAN, and that any dissemination action shall include the logos of both organizations and the Ministry of Industry, Employment, Innovation, and Trade of the Government of Cantabria.

The publication of this agreement provides the Cantabrian business and technological fabric with an official and verified measurement of the economic weight of the Altamira Technological Campus, a large-scale infrastructure whose implementation conditions investment, skilled employment, and local suppliers. The resulting report, using an input-output methodology and validation by a joint commission, will offer administrations and companies an objective basis to anticipate opportunities and plan their participation in the project.

Source: Official Gazette of Cantabria, no. 179, of September 17, 2026, section 7.5, page 46122 (official reference: CVE-2026-7210).