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Date Published: 05/12/2022

ARCHIVED - Huge disappointment as San Javier misses out on NASA Space Agency bid

ARCHIVED ARTICLE -

Seville has been chosen over the Murcia municipality for the Spanish Space Agency

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Huge disappointment as San Javier misses out on NASA Space Agency bid

The Murcia municipality seemed like a shoo-in but San Javier has been dealt a massive blow this week as the city of Seville has been chosen as the headquarters of the future Spanish NASA Space Agency.

San Javier submitted its bid in November and the old airport, which closed to passenger flights in 2019, seemed like the ideal location. According to the Minister of Business Valle Miguélez, the municipality met and exceeded all of the requirements with its rich aviation history, not to mention ample facilities to support the 70 or so families that would have relocated to the area from Madrid because of the project.

“We have made an estimate of the impact that this agency could have and we would speak of the creation of more than 260 jobs, between direct and indirect, and an economic impact of more than 9 million euros per year, outside of all the auxiliary companies that could be installed on our industrial land,” the minister added.

Aside from the obvious direct economic gains, the space agency would have reduced San Javier’s dependency on the tourism and agri-food sectors, attracting more technology companies and researchers.

The news that the headquarters will instead be located in Andalucia came as a shock to the San Javier City council, who firmly believed from the outset that “those responsible for making the decision, the Council of Ministers” would “find it difficult not to give it to San Javier”.

It was also confirmed on Monday December 5 by government spokesperson Isabel Rodríguez that La Coruña will house the new Artificial Intelligence Agency.

The Space Agency is expected to come into operation in the first quarter of 2023, with a budget of 500 million euros.

Now read: Mar Menor Frolic Golf Society donates over 2,500 euros to MABS San Javier

Image: CARM

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