The Councilor Delegate for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Ángel Niño, during the presentation of the pioneering test-controlled environment project in the capital
The Madrid City Council is bringing its innovative ecosystem to the Mobile World Congress (MWC), one of the most relevant technological events on the international scene held in Barcelona from March 3 to 6. With the aim of generating synergies among the main players in the technology sector and showcasing the Council’s commitment to innovation, Madrid Innovation is present at the congress with a 150 m2 booth (hall 8.1, booth A50 and 51), accompanied by 63 startups belonging to municipal innovation centers.
The Councilor Delegate for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Ángel Niño, has provided the strategic vision of the capital for the next two years in terms of innovation. Firstly, he participated in a roundtable with the innovation leaders of BBVA, AstraZeneca11, and Telefónica Ventures Wayra, where he highlighted «the positive evolution of Madrid on the international stage thanks to the strong ecosystem of startups that has been generated in recent years, promoted by municipal policies to support entrepreneurship and innovation.»
Furthermore, he presented the project of a controlled test environment to innovate in the capital, known as ‘Sandbox Madrid’. The ordinance, approved last January in the municipal Plenary, provides, for the first time, a specific regulation for the development of innovative projects in public spaces in the city.
The Councilor Delegate took advantage of the international presence at the Mobile World Congress to invite companies from around the world to test their projects in Madrid, whether it’s an autonomous car or a drone, benefiting from this ordinance that significantly reduces deadlines and procedures. After receiving the first project proposals to measure interest and the maturity level of the tests, Niño assured that «the first calls to start the pilots will arrive in the coming months.»
Madrid in Game has its own space to showcase its progress
This congress features 4YFN (4 Years From Now) as a platform for emerging companies that attracts thousands of professionals, investors, and corporations from around the world. Madrid in Game is present with its own space to showcase the ecosystem built around the video game industry in Madrid. For this purpose, it has an area for entrepreneurs that includes a stage for presentations, meeting rooms, and a networking area.
Additionally, the booth hosts pitching sessions throughout the fair where startups will present their companies and ongoing projects. Among them, there is Arsoft, who will showcase their LAIA XR platform for surgery planning with AI and XR or the UFOLAB startup, which will present their revolutionary SaaS platform that allows anyone to create video games without the need for programming knowledge.
