The second day of the Madrid Investment Forum 2024 began at the Arte de Torrejón de Ardoz, whose mayor, Alejandro Navarro, highlighted: “We intend to consolidate excellence and professional talents through foreign investments and the human capital”.
Well-being, social cohesion and the active participation of citizens in regional progress were once again cited as some of the many factors explaining the attraction of foreign investment. With 74.8% of all foreign investments received in the country during the second quarter of 2024, Madrid proves to be a preferred destination for various strategic sectors.
Alexander Navarro
The Deputy Minister of Digitalization of the Community of Madrid, Manuel Pérez, highlighted how this capacity of attraction not only strengthens the local productive fabric, but also positions Madrid as an international reference: “The data speaks for itself: 30.7 % of the national digital GDP and representing a quarter of the country’s technology companies, the region is leading the way towards a sustainable and innovative growth model.
(Manuel Pérez, Rodrigo Robledo Tobar and Daniel Rodríguez Asensio)
Pérez highlighted the indisputable value of technology (“in a pioneering region in technological sustainability”), but emphasized that in the era of digital transformation, the true digital transformation is the one that improves the quality of life of people. “The citizen is the central axis of our digital transformation.”
The keys to progress
In this sense, the general director of Economic and Industrial Promotion of the Community of Madrid, Jaime Martínez, emphasized that “we have forgotten that the industrial sector is fundamentally innovative, generating much more stable and valuable jobs. We will welcome a historic moment that requires a call to action for Europe and Spain to strengthen their technological and industrial capabilities if we want to be competitive again. He highlighted the importance of development vectors such as public-private collaboration, infrastructure development, modernization of strategic sectors and talent retention, aspects discussed during the conference “Madrid: urban and infrastructural development to build a high quality industry”, with added value. Manuel González, CEO of Ignis Energía; Félix Llorente, dir. gra. of Wilcox; Juan Manuel Sánchez, CEO of Trumpf, and David Simón, Director of Public Affairs of Ryanair.
“Madrid: urban and infrastructural development to build a high value-added industry” was the first meeting of participants
The second round table of the morning brought together, after an intervention by Rodrigo Robledo Tobar, general director of Financial Policy and Treasury, José Antonio de Cachavera, general director of Ingesan (OHLA Services); Ana Carretero, management technician of the Digital Inclusion and Aging program of the Spanish Red Cross; José Jiménez, director of the Independent Living Office of Plena Inclusion in Madrid; Marisol García, Deputy General Director of Tomillo and César Cantalapiedra, Managing Partner of Public Finance of Afi, to talk about “Social innovation at the service of people and improving quality of life”. It was the prologue at the end of the morning session, during which the Deputy Minister of Economy and Employment, Daniel Rodríguez Asensio, highlighted the importance of the Community of Madrid as “an example of balance between a competitive economy and a human region.
The second table had the motto “Social innovation serving people and improving quality of life”.
Present and future
During the afternoon session, organized in Las Rozas, its mayor José de la Uz welcomed the participants (in person and in streaming, via the Invest in Madrid website) in a meeting in which they reflected on the importance of digitalization and the opportunities of the new economy. Then, Fátima Matute, Minister of Health of the Community of Madrid, was categorical in declaring that “we are in the best Madrid in history.”
José de la Uz, mayor of Las Rozas
With 40% of the total budget of the Community of Madrid, Matute explained that his ministry works closely with the pharmaceutical and technological industry to achieve “predictive and precision medicine, hence the commitment to transversality between disciplines “. And he announced the start of work on the Cité de la Santé.
Fatima Matute
Representatives of the Community of Madrid and participants in the meeting
Ignacio Azorín, general director of the Digital Strategy of the Community of Madrid, gave way to the table “The impact of AI on the economic and social environment” which brought together Carlos Marina, responsible for strategy and planning at HP Iberia; Tomás García, vice president of IBM for Spain, Portugal, Greece and Israel; Elena Gil, director of the AI & Big Data business unit at Telefónica Tech and Manuel Giménez, CEO of Spain DC. They discussed the need not to let down our guard on pillars such as infrastructure, investment, administrative agility and training. etc.
“Impact of AI on the economic and social environment”
As for Juan Manuel López Zafra, general director of Economy, he gave way to a new round table recounting record figures in the region, “which do not respond to luck, but to a plan based on three fundamental pillars : rely on businessmen and self-employed workers; generate trust, offer them security and let those who risk do their job. ‘The challenge of the AA.PP. facing digitalization,” presented José de la Uz, mayor of Las Rozas (IoT cluster); Belén García, advisor for economic development and innovation of Tres Cantos (of Blockchain); María Jesús García, fifth deputy mayor and advisor for innovation of the Boadilla del Monte City Hall (quantum computing) and Alejandro Las Heras Vázquez, CEO of the Cybersecurity Agency of the Community of Madrid.
“The AAPP faces the challenge of digitalization”
Ana Dávila, Minister of Family, Youth and Social Affairs, closed the day by emphasizing that the draft budget for 2025 is proof of management of the Community of Madrid that combines economy and society: “On the more than 28 billion euros to invest, 90% will be allocated to social spending: health, education, housing and social affairs. Investing in social innovation is a priority, but it is also a way to attract foreign investment and all of this has an impact on a better quality of life for citizens, especially the most vulnerable.
