• Madrid Investment Attraction
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Why Madrid?

Attractive market

  • Madrid is the main engine of the Spanish economy, the 4th largest economy by GDP in the European Union. Madrid is also the 5th region by GDP in the EU.
  • Madrid is the 3rd most populous European capital after London and Paris. It is the centre of a metropolitan area of more than 6.5 million inhabitants.
  • It is forecasted to grow faster than both the Spanish and European average in the coming years.
  • Its dynamic, open and internationalised economy offers unbeatable access to the European Single Market and to emerging economies in Latin America and North Africa.
  • Capital of the Spanish language, one of the languages with the greatest economic potential in the world and a market of 560 million speakers.
  • Highly diversified service economy, supported by a strong industrial base with a growing weight of tech and knowledge-intensive activities.

Outstanding infrastructures

  • Madrid Barajas Airport is 2nd in Europe by capacity and the 5th by traffic volume. The main Gateway to Europe and Latin America
  • Spain’s dense radial network of more than 15,000 km of highways and motorways converges in Madrid and continues to expand.
  • The Spanish High-Speed Rail network is the second largest in the world with more than 3,400 km
  • With 302 stations and 294 km, the Madrid metro is the second underground network in Europe and the eighth in the world.
  • Madrid is fast becoming the main telecommunications and data hub in Southern Europe.
  • Spain is at the forefront of Europe in digital infrastructures, with a highly developed telecommunications sector.
  • Madrid’s geostrategic location, together with the concentration of neutral access points and the proximity to large submarine cable systems that connect the Iberian Peninsula with Africa and America will play a decisive role in the European digital infrastructure.

Highly Talented city

  • Madrid is the 3rd most populous European capital after London and Paris. It is the centre of a metropolitan area of more than 6.5 million inhabitants.
  • The region of Madrid has a working population of more than 3.2 million people, slightly over two million of them in the metropolitan area of Madrid.
  • With more than 180 different nationalities are represented in Madrid, which has a foreign population exceeding 15%.
  • Madrid offers a skilled and diverse workforce, with first-class Universities and International Business Schools. Over 310 000 students are currently registered in Universities in the region.
  • Madrid offers a high concentration of professionals in high added value sectors, with both technical and business backgrounds

Thriving Business Environment

  • Madrid is the leading destination for foreign investment in Spain and the third European city to receive the most cross-border greenfield investment projects.
  • Madrid ranks behind only London and Paris in Europe in number of operational headquarters of multinational companies. Two out of every three global companies in Spain have their headquarters in Madrid.
  • More than 11,800 foreign-owned companies operate in Madrid, 77% of them based in the capital. They contribute 47% of turnover, 39% of personnel costs and 58% of exports to the regional economy.
  • Madrid is the centre of legislative decisions in Spain. Most of the governmental and regulatory institutions, the financial sector, embassies and international organisations in Spain are concentrated here.
  • Madrid ranks 6th among European cities with most promising prospects for start-ups, technology & innovation investment.

Competitive operating costs

  • Madrid is one of the top-rated European cities in terms of cost of establishment and ease of doing business.
  • Labour costs for high value-added activities are particularly competitive compared to major cities in the United States and the rest of Western Europe
  • Significant cost advantages with an enviable quality of life compared to other large capitals
  • Highly attractive tax regime for foreign companies and expats
  • Madrid offers an attractive system of tax incentives and aid to promote business activity and R&D.
  • High availability of prime office space at competitive prices

Quality of life

  • Exceptional work-life balance in a cosmopolitan environment with all the comforts of a large European capital
  • Universality, excellence and professionalism of one of the most advanced healthcare systems in Europe
  • Amongst the safest cities in Europe
  • Open and cosmopolitan city with 181 nationalities represented
  • Longest lifespan in the EU (85,5 years)
  • Sustainable city (36% green areas) with 3,000 hours of sunlight every year
  • Madrid has one of the best-preserved historic quarters in Europe, with extensive pedestrian areas complemented by a broad range of tourist attractions, museums, cafes, bars, restaurants and shops.

Leadership in innovation

  • Madrid is one ofEurope’s leading citiesin terms of innovation and entrepreneurship.
  • Madrid is at the top of all telecommunications and information society indicators in Spain. It is the leader in Spain in terms of spending and employment in Research and Development.
  • Madrid hosts41 of the 133 CSIC research centres(Spanish National Research Council), one of the world’s leading research institutions.
  • Madrid is home to11 Singular Scientific and Technical Infrastructures(ICTS),7 institutes for advanced studies and a dense network of science and technology parks.
  • Many multinationals have decided to locate their centres of excellence for research, development and innovation activities in Madrid.
  • Madrid boasts a young and fast-growing ecosystem of start-ups, venture capital funds, accelerators and incubators, in which foreign capital is playing a key role