Madrid Investment Forum expands across six locations to target capital in AI, defence and biomedicine

The Community of Madrid will hold the third edition of the Madrid Investment Forum from 28 to 30 September, expanding the programme across six municipalities as the region seeks to attract domestic and international investment into technology-intensive industries.

The three-day event will include activities in Madrid, Tres Cantos, Valdemoro, Villaconejos, Villanueva de la Cañada and Alcalá de Henares. The decentralised format is intended to present the region as an investment platform that extends beyond the capital and includes specialised industrial, technological, academic and agricultural centres.

Madrid’s Minister of Economy, Finance and Employment, Rocío Albert, announced the new edition during the Forbes House Business House Pole Position event, organised around the return of Formula 1 to the Spanish capital.

The regional government views both events as instruments for increasing Madrid’s international visibility. Formula 1 provides a global promotional platform, while the investment forum is designed to connect that exposure with companies, investment funds and projects seeking a base in Spain.

Unlike a conventional conference concentrated in a single venue, the Madrid Investment Forum will move through different parts of the region. The programme will begin on 28 September with sessions in Madrid and Valdemoro, continue on 29 September in Tres Cantos and Villanueva de la Cañada, and conclude on 30 September in Villaconejos and Alcalá de Henares.

Attendance will be free of charge, subject to the capacity available at each location.

Data centres and artificial intelligence

The 2026 programme will focus on data centres, artificial intelligence, biomedicine and defence, sectors that Madrid has placed at the centre of its strategy for attracting projects with high investment and technological requirements.

Data centres have become an important component of Spain’s digital infrastructure as demand rises for cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data processing. Madrid’s connectivity, corporate concentration and position within the national electricity and telecommunications networks have helped the region develop as one of southern Europe’s main locations for these facilities.

Further expansion, however, will require sufficient electricity capacity, faster administrative procedures and coordination between investors, grid operators and local authorities. The inclusion of data centres in the forum reflects both the commercial opportunity and the infrastructure challenges associated with their growth.

Artificial intelligence will form another central part of the programme. The regional government is seeking to position Madrid as a location for technology companies, corporate innovation centres and startups developing applications for finance, mobility, healthcare, public administration and industrial production.

The ability to attract these projects will depend not only on access to capital but also on specialised talent, research capacity, suitable infrastructure and predictable regulation.

Biomedicine and defence enter the investment agenda

The forum will also address biomedicine, an industry supported by Madrid’s hospital network, universities, research centres and pharmaceutical companies. Investment opportunities in the sector range from clinical research and biotechnology to medical devices, diagnostics and digital health services.

Defence will have a specific place in the 2026 agenda as European governments increase expenditure on security, aerospace, communications and dual-use technologies.

Madrid hosts the headquarters and operating centres of several companies connected to these industries. The forum is expected to examine opportunities for suppliers, technology developers and investors seeking to participate in expanding European defence and security value chains.

The inclusion of these sectors shows that the regional strategy is increasingly focused on projects that combine investment with research, skilled employment and local supply networks.

Investment beyond the capital

Taking the event to six municipalities is also intended to show that Madrid’s investment opportunities are distributed across different parts of the region.

Tres Cantos has developed a concentration of technology, aerospace and media companies, while Alcalá de Henares combines university research with industrial and logistics activity. Valdemoro and Villanueva de la Cañada will host sessions linked to their own economic environments, while the Villaconejos event will take place at the Oleum olive oil mill.

The programme will also include a discussion on the recovery of the Sierra Oeste following the major wildfire that affected the area. The session will introduce reconstruction, environmental management and territorial resilience into an event otherwise centred on corporate and technological investment.

This broader agenda reflects the regional government’s attempt to connect foreign capital with local development rather than concentrating new projects exclusively within Madrid city.

From visibility to operating projects

The Madrid Investment Forum is primarily a platform for presenting opportunities and connecting public authorities with businesses and investors. The event itself does not represent a commitment that the projects discussed will receive financing or enter operation.

Its economic impact will depend on how effectively the region converts meetings into investment decisions, administrative approvals, construction and employment.

For capital-intensive projects, companies will assess issues including available land, electricity supply, access to qualified workers, taxation, transport infrastructure and the time required to obtain permits. Competition will also come from other Spanish and European regions pursuing many of the same investments.

The third edition therefore arrives as Madrid attempts to consolidate its role as a business gateway to Spain, Europe and Latin America while extending investment into industries capable of generating longer-term productive capacity.

The forum will provide the regional government with an opportunity to present that strategy. Its success will ultimately be measured by the projects that progress after the meetings conclude on 30 September.