After your recent round of meetings and appointments, how would you rate your visit? What’s your impression of the business climate in Madrid and what possibilities can you see in terms of attracting companies from the United States?

Madrid is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city. And it has excellent infrastructure, talent, and a lot of other reasons to attract capital, such as the measures the Government is putting in place to facilitate investment.

In my opinion, entrepreneurs from both the US and Latin America are looking for options to diversify their investments. The current global economic situation – the potential financial crisis in the United States, and the political (and security) situation in Latin America – is forcing entrepreneurs to look for other safe options to diversify their investments.

From what you have seen, how is the audiovisual sector doing here? How attractive is it to companies from other countries to develop their projects?

The audiovisual sector is constantly evolving and changing. Netflix, Amazon, and new players are always on the lookout for cheaper production options.

What SECUOYA has created, and the facilities that the Government offers production firms mean that this sector is in a very strong position to attract investments.

Do you think Madrid is a good choice as a gateway to the EU Single Market for American companies?

Of course, because of the quality of life and the lower cost of living compared to other European cities (such as London or Paris). However, the language remains a barrier for Americans. I think that it is still much more attractive to Latin American companies and entrepreneurs than native English speakers, who will look for options where there is no language barrier, such as the UK.

Which area of bilateral collaboration do you think offers the greatest potential for development: joint projects between companies from both countries, the establishment of US subsidiaries in Madrid, or direct investments in Spanish companies?

I am not an expert on the subject, but I think that joint projects (for small-medium companies) and the establishment of subsidiaries would be more for large or multinational companies.

Direct investment in Spanish companies is always an option, especially in the world of investment diversification – as capital investment.

Which features of Madrid’s social, cultural and economic life would you highlight?

The quality of life – the value for money. Madrid is a fascinating, majestic city, with unique culture and cuisine. It is one of the world’s major cities, but the cost of living is not as high (compared to other large cities where you can find all those cultural elements, such as Miami, London, NY, Paris, etc.)