3rd December 2025
December 3 – Real Madrid and the Community of Madrid have signed a collaboration protocol to create the Madrid Innovation District (MID), a vast technology-driven development zone that will occupy 85 hectares surrounding Ciudad Real Madrid.
Envisioned as a multi-stakeholder hub, the district will host companies, research institutions, digital-skills programmes and sports-tech innovators, with it set to form one of the region’s most ambitious innovation ecosystems once complete.
According to economic modelling by PwC, the project is expected to generate €1.2 billion annually for the regional economy once fully operational, supporting more than 23,000 permanent jobs. The construction phase alone is projected to involve €1.3 billion of investment and around 4,700 jobs.
The protocol was signed at Ciudad Real Madrid by Emilio Butragueño, the club’s Director of Institutional Relations, alongside the Regional Minister for Digitalisation, Miguel López-Valverde, and Madrid Business Confederation president Miguel Garrido.
The agreement aims to position Real Madrid as a strategic regional partner in digitalisation, talent development and long-term economic planning, on top of its reputation as perhaps the biggest club in world football.
The MID will allocate space for R&D centres, AI and cybersecurity companies, data-driven enterprises, education and digital-skills training, as well as sport- and health-related innovation. The result is intended to be a hybrid public-private district linking the club’s global profile with the region’s industrial modernisation goals.
Real Madrid’s role reflects a broader trend across Europe, where elite clubs are increasingly operating as stakeholders in major urban and technological ventures.
Fellow Champions League sides Bayern Munich, Juventus and Manchester City have each expanded into city-level projects tied to stadium districts and digital performance centres, but MID represents a step further – leveraging club-owned land to anchor a regional innovation cluster.
The next stage will involve attracting technology companies, research bodies and education providers to the site. For the city, the project is central to strengthening its stature as a European tech hub, whilst Real Madrid will benefit reinforcing its growing identity beyond football.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [moc.l1764767743labto1764767743ofdlr1764767743owedi1764767743sni@g1764767743niwe.1764767743yrrah1764767743](javascript:;)