Why invest in
Cantabria?
Investing in Cantabria has tax and business advantages, excellent human capital, competitiveness, quality of life, and a strategic location. Find out below about the benefits of settling here.
Advantages of investing in Cantabria
Strategic location towards Europe and Latin America
Cantabria is located in the north of Spain. Thanks to its privileged location, it’s a strategic destination for foreign investors. Only 2 hours from the French border, it offers easy access to the European market. Cantabria is also a natural bridge to America due to its historical relationship with Latin America.
Open economy to private enterprise
Cantabria offers an ideal environment for the development of business initiatives. Agility in bureaucratic procedures, proximity, and public bodies’ dynamism contribute to the success of entrepreneurs.
If you’re looking for fertile ground to make your business ideas come true, you will find in Cantabria a favourable environment since its public administration is a strategic ally to foreign investors.
The Government of Cantabria is committed to the cause. Therefore, it facilitates all mechanisms for the establishment of companies, making them easy and accessible.
Cantabria’s tax model is developed to support investors, including some PIT deductions. Its tax burden is also lower than the national average.
The different bodies involved in an investment process are coordinated to speed up deadlines and ensure the security of your project.
Unemployment rate in Cantabria 2023
The talent of Cantabria and its excellent human capital
Cantabria stands out for its excellent academic standards, particularly in technical studies with higher demand in the labour market. These are the three top universities in the region.
University of Cantabria
A benchmark for quality and innovation in higher education
The University of Cantabria has consolidated itself as a benchmark for quality and innovation in higher education. It’s one of the most efficient public universities in Spain and excels in research (ranking second nationally). It offers 30 degrees, 5 double degrees, 44 Master’s degrees, and 20 doctorates (engineering and programming are the areas that stand out the most).
Menéndez Pelayo International University
The cradle of knowledge in summer
Menéndez Pelayo International University transforms Santander into an epicentre of culture and research during the summer. It offers a wide range of activities related to university education and promotes the exchange of knowledge at an international level. Menéndez Pelayo International University is a benchmark in research and high-level specialisation.
European University of the Atlantic
Well-rounded education committed to the future
This private university offers a well-rounded education based on excellence and commitment to people. Its innovative and dynamic educational model stands out for personalized attention, academic rigor, and close links with the business world. It offers a wide range of degrees, Master’s degrees, and doctorates in various expertise fields.
Cantabria is a benchmark in research and has a number of technology centres
Infrastructures in Cantabria
Cantabria allows you to establish in a strategic location, from where you can easily reach other places in Spain, Europe, Asia, and America.
Santander airport
Modern airport, located just 3 km from the city of Santander. It allows you to travel to 20 destinations (domestic and European). In 2023, the number of passengers was 1,242,089.
Steady growth rate of around 5%
Port of Santander
In percentage terms, the Port of Santander has experienced the fastest growth among the ports in the north of Spain. It is also the second fastest-growing port in Spain. The traffic of solid bulk, liquid bulk, and Ro-Ro traffic (vehicles) is particularly relevant for the Port of Santander. Between January and November 2023, it obtained traffic of 6,396,600 tonnes, compared to 5,877,905 tonnes in the same period of 2022. That means an increase of 8.8% (that is, a new historical record in the accumulated period).
Traffic increase
Road and rail network
Cantabria and its capital, Santander, are directly connected to other places in Spain and Europe. Cantabria stands out for its unbeatable strategic location and competitive and modern infrastructures (by road and train).
Energy and digital infraestructures
Excellent digital infrastructure: access to power, gas, and water for the optimal development of your company.
Cantabria also excels in sports —such as surfing, golf, sailing, and skiing. Golf is particularly important (the famous Spanish golfer Severiano Ballesteros was born here), as is sailing (we have the sailing high-performance center CAR).
It’s a safe and healthy region too, making it a great place to live.
Santander, its capital, is among the best cities to live in Spain, ranking fourth nationally.
According to economic and social indicators, Cantabria is also one of the best-positioned regions in Spain. Key factors include the life expectancy of its inhabitants, the quality of its health and education services, and its attractive natural environment.
In conclusion, Cantabria offers a unique combination of quality of life, natural beauty, and opportunities to enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle.
Cultural heritage and history
According to 2023 data from the Cultural Observatory, Santander is among the Spanish cities with the highest quality and most innovative cultural offer (ranking 8th in cultural terms in Spain).
Two pilgrimage routes (the Camino Lebaniego and the Camino del Norte of the Way of St. James) and ten prehistoric caves in Cantabria have been declared World Heritage by UNESCO.
Cantabria also boasts important samples of art and architecture from different historical periods (megalithic remains; Cantabria settlements; Romanesque, Baroque, and Gothic art; and modernist architecture from the 19th and 20th centuries).