Ceuta is actively moving toward a highly diversified, technological, and competitive economic framework, with the online gaming industry acting as one of the central pillars driving the city's ongoing structural transformation.
This served as one of the primary takeaways from the main panel at the Forbes AI & Tech Summit Ceuta 2026. The event brought together institutional, corporate, and technological leaders to analyze the overarching strategy aimed at converting Ceuta into a prominent digital hub for southern Europe.
The panel was moderated by Bárbara Manrique de Lara, Editorial Director of Forbes Summit, and featured Kissy Chandiramani, Regional Minister of Finance, Economy, Public Administration, and Employment; Joaquín Mollinedo, General Secretary of the Ceuta Chamber of Commerce; alongside corporate executives representing Templus, Dell Technologies, and VAR Group Iberia.
Online Gaming: The Key to Diversification
Chandiramani explained that Ceuta's economic transformation accelerated following successive structural disruptions, including the border closure to commerce, the pandemic, and the 2021 migration crisis. These pivotal developments forced local leadership to reshape the traditional model and maximize the strategic benefits of the city's unique economic and fiscal tax regime.
The Regional Minister indicated that the city has successfully consolidated a tech ecosystem heavily driven by online gambling operations, data centers, cybersecurity infrastructure, renewable energy projects, and generative AI deployment.
She also pointed to the vital role of local universities and specialized innovation incubators, such as Telefónica’s Open Future program, in building regional entrepreneurship and digital talent.
A Refreshed Corporate Mindset
Joaquín Mollinedo praised the sheer adaptability of Ceuta's business landscape, stating that local commerce now exhibits a significantly more open mindset regarding digital innovation and investment diversification.
The General Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce specifically emphasized the socioeconomic footprint left by the arrival of tech businesses and international online gaming operators—a sector that, as he confirmed, is already responsible for generating thousands of local jobs.
Mollinedo clarified that this tech-first approach does not replace historical sectors. Conventional commerce, hospitality, and gastronomy continue to stand as pillars of the local economy, proving essential to attracting ongoing external corporate investment and keeping professional talent within the region.
Ceuta Aims for Tech Hub Status
Panelists universally agreed that the unique combination of low-tax corporate incentives, high-speed digital connectivity, robust data infrastructure, and an emerging talent pool is strengthening Ceuta's global appeal for technological investments.
Continued synergy between public administrations, the Chamber of Commerce, academic institutions, and private enterprises will remain the determining factor in solidifying this transition, securely positioning the Spanish autonomous city as a leading tech and business hub in Southern Europe.
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