Madrid Innovation Sandbox

© Madrid

This controlled-testing environment provides safe spaces in which different products, services, and innovative projects can be tested and put into practice, simplifying procedures to facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship, thus attracting talent and investments to the city.

TESTING NOVEL PROJECTS

Madrid is one of the most valued cities, in terms of innovation and talent, in Europe and a magnet for companies, investors, and startups. In recent years, it has established itself as the innovation reference pole in Spain thanks to various initiatives that open the city to entrepreneurship and welcome new ideas and solutions. The controlled-testing environment proposed will complement these initiatives and create a legal environment favourable to innovation, simplifying and unifying the administration and authorisation procedures required to carry out the testing of novel projects.

TESTING CONCEPTS IN AN URBAN AREA

The Madrid Innovation Sandbox is a controlled-testing environment that provides safe spaces in which different products, services, and innovative projects on multiple themes can be tested and put into practice. These products contribute to the improvement of quality and efficiency, or solve problems in the urban environment on the themes of: sustainability, economy, energy, public spaces, safety, and accessibility. The innovation in the Madrid Sandbox lies in the possibility of carrying out proofs of concept in an urban area within Madrid, of approximately 20 sq.km. Until now, there was no authorised area that combined the residential urban area, industrial zone, and mixed zone. That is why companies and startups will be able to segment their tests into the different types of users, routes, or environments they need in order to better refine their experiments.

FACILITATIVE INNOVATION AND ENTREPERNEURSHIP

The Madrid Innovation Sandbox controlled-test environment will be regulated by an ordinance that will allow innovative solutions and advances to be tested safely on a reduced and temporary scale, simplifying procedures and administrative management to facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship, thus attracting talent and investments to the city. The purpose of the ordinance will be to regulate a controlled testing environment that allows pilot projects and innovative tests, of a temporary nature, to be carried out in virtual or physical spaces in the City of Madrid. And this will apply to pilot projects and innovative tests that request access to the controlled test environment and receive authorisation that determines the execution period of the test and the physical space, if applicable. 

Project owner
Ángel Niño
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Delegate Councilman, Project Promoter
Project team
Fernando Herrero
General Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Project owner
Virginia Blanco
Subdirector of Innovation