Eight municipalities in the Region of Murcia are vying to host one of the most important technological projects proposed in the region in recent years: the secure chip design center that powers Quantix Edge SecurityAfter an initial screening, the company has reduced the number of candidates still in the running to host the future megacenter from 25 to 8.
In this final phase, Abarán, Alcantarilla, Alhama de Murcia, Caravaca (Caravaca de la Cruz), Cartagena, Ceutí, Jumilla and Murcia These are the locations that maintain real options to become the headquarters of the microelectronics and cybersecurity hub, a project that combines public and private investment and seeks to strengthen the industrial capacity of Spain and, by extension, of Europe in the field of semiconductors.
Eight finalist municipalities after a selection process involving 25 candidates
The selection of these eight sites is the result of a preliminary analysis process in which Quantix Edge Security has studied 25 proposals, coming from both town councils and private initiatives. Municipalities such as Blanca, Fuente Álamo, Las Torres de Cotillas, Lorca, Lorquí, Los Alcázares, Mula, Santomera, San Pedro del Pinatar, Ulea or Yecla were left out after this first technical evaluation.
According to the company, since last December, work has been underway. an individualized examination of each candidateThis was accompanied by on-site visits to all the land offered. The objective of these inspections was to verify key aspects such as the characteristics of the available land, existing infrastructure, and medium- and long-term development potential.
The decision to reduce the list of applicants, the company emphasizes, is due to exclusively to technical fit criteria and the requirement of a very tight scheduleThis implies that the exclusion of some options is not interpreted as a negative assessment of those municipalities, but as the result of a very restrictive technical filter.
Quantix Edge Security has reiterated its gratitude for “the effort, the quality of the projects and the extraordinary level of all the proposals submitted”, focusing on the institutional and business commitment of the territories to attract strategic industrial initiatives with high added value.
This interest is not limited to the regional sphere: for the company, the process reflects the growing commitment of various municipalities to European technological sovereignty, in line with the strategies promoted from Brussels to strengthen Europe's capacity in microelectronics, cybersecurity and the Internet of Things (IoT).
A mega-center for secure chips with a strong public-private component
The future Quantix center is conceived as an engineering hub specializing in the design, validation and characterization of microcontrollers and secure componentsThese products are intended for sectors such as automotive, IoT, and critical infrastructure. It's not just about manufacturing, but about developing chips and hardware solutions with high levels of cybersecurity built in from the design stage.
The initiative stems from a public-private partnership totaling 40 million euros in investmentOf that amount, the State participates with 19,6 million euros, equivalent to 49% of the capital, through the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation (SETT), dependent on the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Function.
The rest of the capital comes from private investors, mainly from the Region of MurciaAmong them are Odin Solutions (OdinS) —a spin-off of the University of Murcia and considered the driving force behind the project— and TProtege, the investment vehicle through which nine Murcian entrepreneurs and firms such as Grupo Fuertes, the Marín Giménez family, Inversaran (Aranguren family), Murcia Emprende, Inforges, as well as other individual investors linked to the regional business fabric participate.
At the international level, the project is complemented by the participation of the Swiss company WISeKey and the French company SealsQBoth companies have extensive experience in digital security technologies and semiconductors. Together with local companies TProtege and OdinS, they form the core business of Quantix Edge Security.
This mix of public partners, technology companies from Murcia, and multinational groups specializing in cybersecurity makes up a collaborative model that seeks to position Spain as a leader in safe and sustainable microchips, relying on research generated at the university and on the industrial capabilities of the surrounding area.
Economic impact, specialized employment and demanding schedule
Quantix's forecasts indicate that the future center will have a significant impact on employment and the regional economyEstimates from various sources indicate the creation of around 150-250 highly skilled direct jobs —in engineering, microelectronics and cybersecurity—, in addition to several hundred indirect jobs associated with the value chain and related services.
In macroeconomic terms, the calculations made by the company and the administrations involved estimate an economic impact of close to 793 million euros over a five-year horizon for the Region of Murcia. This figure gives an idea of the project's driving force on other technological and industrial sectors.
The project is part of the development of advanced technological infrastructuresThis implies tight deadlines and complex execution. The company insists that the time factor has become a determining variable to guarantee both operational viability and execution capacity in this initial stage.
Due to this very tight schedule, the company has prioritized from the very beginning those locations with readily available land, almost immediate operational capacity, and room for future growthThe goal is to minimize risks and avoid delays in an infrastructure considered strategic.
At the same time, the focus has been placed on the technical adaptation of existing infrastructures —electrical connections, telecommunications, road access, basic services, etc.— to ensure that the center can operate with high levels of security and resilience, something key in an environment focused on cybersecurity and semiconductors.
Technical criteria and new phase of detailed checking
With the preliminary stage completed, Quantix Edge Security now enters a new phase of in-depth analysisAt this point, the work will focus on the detailed technical check of the eight finalist locations that best fit the current and future operational requirements of the project.
During this new phase of the process, the following will be reviewed in greater detail: urban planning conditions, pending administrative procedures, supply guarantees, connectivity and scalability possibilitiesBased on that, the final decision will be made regarding the municipality that will host the center.
The company has repeatedly insisted that The entire evolution of the process responds exclusively to technical parameters.In other words, no political criteria or considerations unrelated to the project's viability and its implementation schedule have been introduced.
At the same time, Quantix has reiterated that The withdrawal of some municipalities from the process does not imply a disqualification of their proposalsThe company emphasizes that many of the rejected applications stood out for their strength, ambition, and quality, but did not perfectly match the immediate needs of this specific initiative.
For the municipalities involved, both those still in the running and those that have been eliminated, the project has meant an incentive to prepare industrial floor, streamline procedures and strengthen public-private partnershipswith a view to attracting future investments in the fields of microelectronics, cybersecurity and advanced industry.
A project anchored in European research and technological sovereignty
Quantix Edge Security is, to a large extent, the culmination of years of university research and work in technology companies in the Region of MurciaOdin Solutions, one of the driving firms, emerged as a spin-off from the University of Murcia and has participated in projects funded by the State Secretariat for Digitalization.
These previous initiatives have mobilized More than 3,25 million euros in public funding for the development of security technologies and threat managementThis has contributed to creating a local ecosystem with strong capabilities in cybersecurity, sensor technology, and communications.
The launch of the secure chip center is interpreted as an additional step within the European strategy to strengthen its technological autonomyIn a context of tensions in semiconductor supply chains and growing demand for secure solutions for connected devices, Brussels has encouraged member states to promote projects that strengthen their microchip industry.
The case of the Region of Murcia fits into this framework, by combining university talent, technological business network and public financial backingThe idea is that the center will not only produce knowledge and technology, but also serve as a magnet for new investments and R&D projects related to secure electronics.
While the final decision on the location of Quantix chip center in the Region of Murcia As the deadline approaches, the eight finalist municipalities are refining their proposals, and the company is finalizing the last technical details. What already seems clear is that the project has become a benchmark for public-private collaboration and a candidate to play a significant role in the European microchip and cybersecurity industry, with the Region of Murcia as its main stage.
