Positioning Madrid as a Global Digital Leader

We worked with Madrid City Council to assess how the city communicates its digital value, benchmark it against 15 leading global tech hubs, and design a roadmap to boost visibility, reputation and competitiveness.

The challenge

Major metropolises are gaining weight on the global economic map, emerging as epicenters where innovation thrives and opportunities materialize. Increasingly, talent and investment cross borders based on what a particular city—not a country—offers them. In this competitive and dynamic context, it is crucial for each city to communicate its international value proposition clearly and attractively in order to have its own voice and stand out.

With its Madrid, Digital Capital strategy, launched in 2022, the Spanish capital aims to put digital transformation at the service of its citizens and businesses, while reinforcing its leadership as an innovative, technological and globally competitive city. Facing this challenge, the Digital Office of the Madrid City Council requested our support to analyze its international positioning and define an action plan to boost its global visibility and relevance.

Our approach

We applied our Smart City Branding PDMBP© methodology to carry out a 360º analysis of Madrid’s positioning as an international reference for digital cities. We studied how the Madrid, Digital Capital strategy is communicated, what value it projects externally and what capabilities the city has to strengthen its global reputation.

To do this, we conducted international benchmarking, comparing Madrid with 15 leading tech cities, analyzing their branding approaches, narratives, digital presence and institutional networking. Based on these insights, we held a series of collaborative workshops with the teams responsible for the digital strategy to define priorities, set strategic objectives, and establish concrete lines of action.

The impact

The project allowed Madrid to better understand its main strengths and comparative advantages as a global tech hub, including strong institutional commitment to its digital agenda, a robust strategic vision with a clear future outlook, and a solid network of international partnerships.

It also provided a precise picture of how its digital value proposition is perceived globally and which areas need strengthening to consolidate its position as a leading tech city. This gives Madrid solid tools to strategically plan its next steps, attract more and better opportunities, and reinforce the role of technology in building a more liveable, sustainable, and competitive city.