Economy and Business
DESCRIPTION
The creation of various clusters comprising a network set up as a municipal initiative is provided for in the “Operational Governance Programme 2019-2023”, which entrusts the tasks of implementing, coordinating and developing this network to the Directorate-General for Economic Affairs.
In the current globalised, technological, web-based context, it makes a great deal of sense to establish clusters designed as points of encounter, convergence and grouping together of the various stakeholders and interests involved in a given material area. Such clusters are also effective vehicles for public-private partnership.
As the products of joint, coordinated efforts between governments, business owners, investors, universities and research centres, clusters play a decisive role in the global, technological world and are an indispensable tool for fostering innovation and economic development in sectors with high productive value.
Cognizant of this, the city’s current government has embraced the new role of governments as catalysts and creators, as well as the role played by collaborative networks whose participants include both public and private organisations.
A good example of this is the importance that the City Council places on clusters, whose mention in the City Agreements (“Acuerdos de la Villa”), unanimously approved in a plenary session, reveals a strong commitment to tackling the crisis and reviving the city’s economy and the well-being of its residents by means of this sort of collaboration mechanism.
Specifically, the City Agreements place particular emphasis on the importance of clusters and provide, as part of the New Industrial Plan, for the creation of two clusters: a “Video Game Industry” cluster and a “Health” cluster.
Prior to these Agreements, based on a view of clusters as key factors in stimulating productive activity and innovation, the Directorate-General for Economic Affairs had already promoted the creation and development of another four clusters (“Big Data”, “Cybersecurity”, “Fintech” and “Construction, Engineering and Architecture”), in addition to arranging Madrid City Council’s inclusion as a partner of the Innovation Cluster for Sustainable Freight Delivery (CITET).
Furthermore, the City of Madrid Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, approved in July 2021, reflects the City Council's commitment to transforming Madrid and achieving its ambitious objectives through public-private partnership mechanisms, and expressly mentions the role that clusters must play as drivers of the knowledge economy.
CLUSTERS
The network currently includes seven clusters:
- Big Data
- Cybersecurity
- Fintech
- Construction, Engineering and Architecture
- Digital Health
- Video Games
- Innovation for Sustainable Freight Delivery
In the medium-term, it is envisioned that the Innovation and Circular Economy Centre (CIEC) run by Madrid City Council will also be set up as a cluster.
The Directorate-General for Economic Affairs is currently defining and beginning to implement a strategy to coordinate the clusters in the municipal network with the aim of ensuring the necessary synergy of their activities by creating a collaborative work environment in which they all take part.
OBJECTIVES
- Drive innovation, economic development and the creation of jobs in the various clusters’ spheres of activity
- Attract talent and investment to the city of Madrid
- Make the Spanish capital an international benchmark in the sectors associated with each cluster in the municipal network
- Foster public-private partnership, making it a key instrument for the city of Madrid's transition to a more sustainable, digital, egalitarian model.
DURATION
This initiative is of indefinite duration, starting from the time the clusters are formally created by means of official registration in the relevant Associations Register. Various clusters were formally created in 2020 (“Big Data”, “Cybersecurity”, “Fintech”, and “Construction, Engineering and Architecture”) and two were created in 2021 (“Video Games” and “Digital Health”).
In addition, Madrid City Council's status as a CITET partner was established by agreement in a municipal plenary session on 24 November 2020.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
dg.economia@madrid.es
