The Asociación Española de Data Centers – Spanish Data Center Association (Spain DC) said it has met with the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure, Roberto Sánchez, to analyse the current situation and the sector’s development and plans for the coming years.

The meeting, held at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, was attended by Spain DC’s president, Ignacio Velilla, vice-president, Emilio Díaz and executive director, Manuel Giménez.

The association board used the meeting to present itself as the interlocutor of the data centre sector before the Spanish Government, “thus initiating a round of institutional contacts that will continue with regional and local administrations”.

“Likewise, the representatives of Spain DC have explained to the Secretary of State the current situation of data centres in Spain, the European country where the sector is growing the most and which can attract investments of more than €5 billion (US$5.8 billion) in the coming years,” the association said in a press statement.

The group has also explained its objective of converting Spain into the interconnection hub of Southern Europe thanks to the growth that the data centre sector is experiencing, a boom favoured by the geographical location of the Iberian Peninsula, a strategic point of connection between Europe and Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Spain DC aims to turn this growth into reality by working in three main areas: energy and sustainability, education and the digital economy.

During the meeting, the association has also highlighted the main challenges facing the sector to ensure its development, such as energy regulation that facilitates the operation of these facilities, the improvement of telecommunications infrastructures and the need for close collaboration with public administrations.

Spain DC was launched last October in Madrid by several data centre brands including DATA4, Equinix (NASDAQ: EQUIX), Global Switch, the Infrastructure Masons, and Interxion (a Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR) company).