 Spains Santander bank said on Thursday it would hire 3,000 IT professionals worldwide this year to support its digital transformation and improve efficiency, at a time when lenders are focusing on cutting costs. About 1,000 of the new hires will be in Spain, with a particular focus on individuals with a background in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Santander said the recruits would be in areas including security and operations, artificial intelligence, software development and cybersecurity. 