Through the Madrid Emprende Economic Development Agency, foreign companies considering setting up shop in Madrid now have access to free and fully-equipped office space in which to develop their ideas and projects. These companies will also receive on-site advice and assistance through a prestigious network of collaborators.
Madrid Emprende, the City Council’s Economic Development Agency (www.madridemprende.com), was created over five years ago to promote and further the economic development of the city and to support its business networks, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. Among its other responsibilities, the agency advocates Madrid as a key international location for business projects, attracting foreign investors and creating and nurturing lasting business ties.
Since it was first opened, the agency’s Investors Support Office (www.investinginmadrid.es) has provided potential foreign investors with all the information they need to launch or extend their business activity in Madrid. The office also handles any doubts and addresses any inquiries these investors may have. Investors can lodge their inquiries or requests either personally, at the offices located at Gran Vía, number 24, or through the agency’s website, which features a wealth of information on Madrid as an investment location.
In order to extend and round out the support already offered to companies looking to bring their economic activities to the city, Madrid Emprende has now launched a new service center, Madrid Investors Support. This service provides companies with free use, during three months, of a fully-equipped business center to help them in their investment decisions. This includes specialized on-site advice on setting up shop in Madrid provided by Abanlex Abogados and a network of collaborators, including the esteemed law firm Garrigues, the prestigious Instituto de Empresa business school, the Rey Juan Carlos University and the agency’s own One Stop Corporate Shop. As the space is housed in the business incubator located at Villablanca, number 85 in Madrid, interested companies have access to all the incubator’s services, such as meeting rooms, conference rooms, lounges, etc.
Madrid Investors Support is a pioneering initiative in Spain, although similar centers aiming to attract foreign investments are already operating in cities in the US, Japan and elsewhere in Europe.
The office’s website, www.investinginmadrid.com, lays out the convincing reasons for setting up a business in Spain and contains a wealth of information for executives of foreign companies. Through the monthly newsletter, subscribing companies will be permanently in the loop regarding the main investment news happening in the city. The Expat’s Handbook also provides foreign executives with up-to-date information on all types of issues surrounding day-to-day life and business in Madrid. The office also offers a news bank bringing together the most pertinent economic and business news in the city, while the “Madrid, the warmest business climate in Europe” guide clearly sets out the compelling grounds for choosing Madrid as an investment location.
Through Madrid Investors Support, potential investors can also consult reports on the city’s key business sectors, such as the financial sector, logistics, information and communications technologies, biotechnology, call/contact centers and CSC and renewable energies, as well as the recently-published reports on the Spanish fashion and the nanotechnology sectors.