Business Finland welcomes Finnish companies with innovative decarbonization solutions to join this Trade Mission to Madrid and Zaragoza to dive deeper into the urban regeneration challenges and smart mobility investments initiated in both cities.
Large public investments from NextGenEU and national funds, combined with a shift in business culture, make Spanish cities an attractive market for Finnish Smart City solutions. Challenges like cutting emissions, dealing with water shortages, creating more green areas, improving transportation, and making public services better and more resilient are some challenges Spanish cities are facing.
Madrid is at the forefront of the Spanish Smart City movement, with ambitious plans to revitalize the entire urban landscape. The city aims to transform into a forward-thinking metropolis. Currently, there are five urban regeneration projects underway, including the massive Madrid Nuevo Norte and the smaller Valdecarros area. These initiatives place citizens at the heart of the transformation, striving to create a dynamic, sustainable, and more liveable environment. Given the scale of these projects, Madrid is exploring a diverse range of Smart City solutions across various sectors. The goal is to showcase cutting-edge innovations and establish Madrid as a pioneer in smart city development, not only within Europe but on a global scale.
Zaragoza, as a smart city, is concentrating on two main goals: sustainability and competitiveness. In terms of sustainability, it's tackling mobility, environmental concerns, and economic sustainability. For competitiveness, the city is prioritizing technological innovation. Moreover, it's placing a strong emphasis on its citizens, aiming to enhance public services and digital skills within the community.
Desired products, services and systems may include solutions for:
- Urban mobility (digitalisation, optimisation, hydrogen, electrification).
- Waste and water management.
- Green buildings (sustainable materials, carbon capture, energy efficiency, wood, circularity).
- Digital transformation of the administration/citizen services.
Local enablers such as the Regional Government of Madrid, Madrid and Zaragoza municipalities, Construction and Mobility clusters, as well as EPCs (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction companies) and integrators will play crucial roles in driving forward smart city initiatives.
Read more about the Opportunities in Urban Transition, Smart Mobility and Green Spaces in Spain.
Practicalities
To cover the expenses of arranging the visit program in Spain, participants will share the costs based on following principles:
- Micro Businesses and SMEs: 1170 EUR + 24% VAT per person
- Major Companies: 1380 EUR + 24% VAT per person
Business Finland will invoice the participants after the visit based on the actual costs. The invoiced fee will not exceed the amounts mentioned above.
