The 6th ARCHAM Forum, held today at the Botín Centre in Santander, brought together institutional representatives, political leaders, business executives, and experts from across Europe with the aim of advancing a common agenda to strengthen the positioning of the Atlantic Arc as a key area for sustainable economic development and territorial cohesion in Europe. At this meeting, ARCHAM reaffirmed its commitment to building a more integrated, resilient Atlantic macroregion, better prepared to face future economic and geopolitical challenges.
The institutional opening featured the participation of the President of the Cantabria Chamber, Tomás Dasgoas; the President of Cámara España, José Luis Bonet; and the Regional Minister of Economy of Cantabria, Luis Ángel Agüeros. All emphasized the need to strengthen mechanisms for interregional cooperation.
The opening keynote, entitled “The Atlantic Macroregion: Building a Common Agenda,” was delivered by the President of the Bilbao Chamber, José Ignacio Zudaire, who highlighted the role of macroregions as key tools for a more cohesive and prosperous Europe. This was followed by a roundtable discussion on the structuring of macroregions, moderated by the Director of the Government of Cantabria Office in Brussels, Inmaculada Valencia. Participants included Élise Wattrelot, Executive Secretary of the European Commission’s Atlantic Arc; Juhani Ailio, Head of the Baltic Sea Strategy Point; Robert Lichtner, Head of the Danube Strategy Point; and Francesca La Greca, Head of the Alpine Strategy Point, who shared experiences and cooperation models applicable to the Atlantic Arc.
Subsequently, Fermín Mier, Head of Content at SER Cantabria, moderated a roundtable focused on challenges related to Atlantic connectivity, as well as infrastructure, logistics, and sustainable mobility—key elements for structuring connections between regions. Participants included José Antonio Sebastián, Government Commissioner for the Atlantic Corridor; Roberto Media, Cantabria’s Regional Minister of Public Works; César Díaz, President of the Santander Port Authority; and Daniel Berasategui, Northern Zone Director at Boluda Corporación Marítima.
After a break, the session resumed with the keynote “Energy, Competitiveness and Strategic Autonomy in Europe,” delivered by Isaac Valero, Head of Energy, Security and International Relations at DG ENER – European Commission. In the roundtable “The Atlantic Arc in the New Energy Landscape,” moderated by Jesús Lastra, Head of Economics at Diario Montañés, participants included Iván Martén from the Industry Advisory Committee of the International Energy Forum (IEF); Yolanda Fernández Montes, Director of Stakeholders Management and Public Affairs at EDP; and Mayte Nonay, Director of Strategy and Planning at Enagás. They highlighted the importance of developing new energy vectors such as renewable hydrogen to ensure the decarbonization of Atlantic industry and to advance toward sustainable competitiveness.
The event was closed by the President of Cantabria, María José Sáenz de Buruaga, and the President of the Basque Government and President of the Atlantic Arc Commission, Imanol Pradales. All agreed on the positive impact that the creation of an Atlantic Macroregion within the European Union would have as a strategic platform to promote economic cooperation, competitiveness, and territorial and social cohesion, with the goal of achieving a shared, prosperous, and sustainable future. They also underscored the role of ARCHAM and all the Chambers of Commerce of the Atlantic Arc as a link between economic, institutional, and social actors, representing the interests of the Atlantic business fabric before European institutions, as well as their capacity to channel joint initiatives in strategic areas.
Technical session
Yesterday, representatives of the Chambers of Commerce of Northern Portugal, Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Burgos, the Basque Country, and New Aquitaine—members of the ARCHAM alliance—met at the Magdalena Palace in Santander to share progress made in the different established working areas; strengthen inter-chamber and inter-institutional cooperation mechanisms; and agree on next steps in the strategic coordination of the territory, reinforcing joint positioning, and defining shared lines of action.
About ARCHAM
The Chambers of Commerce of northern Portugal, Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Burgos, Navarra, the Basque Country, and Nouvelle-Aquitaine signed the Declaration of the Chambers of Commerce of the Atlantic Arc in Bilbao in June 2023, with the aim of creating mechanisms for inter-chamber and inter-institutional cooperation to jointly address the economic, social, and environmental challenges faced by the regions of the Atlantic Arc. Since this first conference, five more have been held—in Bilbao, Porto, Oviedo, Vigo, and Brussels—advancing the identification of shared areas of interest, the drafting of a strategic document, and the inclusion of public administrations and other institutions in the project. The strategic document establishes three priority areas of work of common interest to all territories:
- Transport and Intermodality
- Promotion of the Atlantic rail corridor
- Support for intermodality and connectivity of Atlantic Arc ports
- Hydrogen Corridor and Renewable Energy
- Development of the hydrogen corridor
- Offshore wind energy
- The Camino de Santiago as a unifying hallmark
- Wine tourism
- Leisure, nature, and wellness activities
The Chambers of the Atlantic Arc aim to generate synergies around these areas of work to transform the territory and make it more competitive, more sustainable, more dynamic, more open and connected; as well as more attractive and with a higher quality of life for its citizens.