From June 3rd to June 7th, Maria Inês Neto took part in an Erasmus+ Mobility for Staff program in Madrid, immersing herself in the city’s thriving innovation ecosystem. Despite the intense heat that gripped the Spanish capital, the week was full of job shadowing activities, networking opportunities, and cultural immersion.
The Community of Madrid developed a mid-term strategy to position the city as a reference hub in southern Europe in Research and Innovation and integrated several players who work together to accomplish that. From coworking spaces and innovation hubs, to business incubators and accelerators, Madrid has it all and she tried to explore just that.
Within Madrid Empreende, the Madrid City Council’s initiative to foster entrepreneurship, Inês visited Viveros de Empresas Carabanchel and Madrid Food Innovation Hub. The first one offers startups the resources and mentorship needed to grow from concept to successful enterprise, including facilities such as office space, workshops, and networking events designed to foster innovation. The second one focuses on the agri-food sector, supporting startups working on groundbreaking solutions in food technology. It provides resources such as labs, test kitchens, and industry-specific mentorship to help new businesses thrive.
Within Madrid Innova, the Madrid City Council’s initiative to foster innovation, Inês got in touch with Madrid International Lab, an innovation center dedicated to supporting international entrepreneurs and businesses, providing a space where global ideas can take root and flourish within Madrid’s vibrant business environment. Also belonging to Madrid City Council’s initiatives is Madrid Investment Attraction, whose goal is to promote Madrid as an attractive destination for international investors and businesses looking to expand into new markets.
To mimic technology transfer activities, a visit to Fundación Parque Científico de Madrid was also scheduled. This Science Park in collaboration with Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Universidad Complutense de Madrid connects academic research with industry, in fields ranging from biotechnology to information technology.
The week of mobility was purposely chosen due to South Summit, a big conference happening in Madrid that connects the world’s leading companies, startups and entrepreneurs, and the investment community to create business opportunities and valuable connections.
Last but not least, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the host of the mobility training and whose Entrepreneurship Office (Compluempreende) resembles Tec Labs in initiatives and mission. Although more socially innovative driven, from pre-incubation to acceleration programmes, they support students to launch innovative businesses.
