Real Madrid have officially joined forces with the regional authorities to launch the Madrid Innovation District (MID), a sweeping new project to transform part of their Valdebebas training complex into what could become one of Southern Europe’s premier tech- and research-hub campuses. The club signed a collaboration protocol on 2 December 2025 with the regional government, committing approximately 85 hectares of land to a development that aims to mix innovation, business, research, education, and residential or public amenities under one roof.
The MID is conceived as a “smart district”—a hybrid of corporate headquarters, research institutions, start-ups, training facilities, and lifestyle infrastructure. According to estimations from consulting firm PwC, the fully-operational district could generate roughly €1.2 billion per year for the regional economy and sustain over 23,000 permanent jobs. The initial building phase itself is expected to mobilise some €1.3 billion and create nearly 4,700 jobs during development.
MID’s scope is ambitious. It plans to attract companies and research centres specialising in areas like artificial intelligence, sports science, biotechnology, digital skills, and innovation-driven industries. The district is proposed to include labs, R&D offices, incubators and accelerators for start-ups, training and education centres, as well as public- and private-sector collaboration hubs. The project is also pitched as a mixed-use environment where people can work, study, and — potentially — live or access services, blending tech infrastructure with urban life.
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For the club, the move represents a strategic diversification beyond football — potentially turning part of its land assets into a long-term revenue-generating engine, and embedding Real Madrid at the heart of a broader economic, technological and social initiative. For the region and Madrid city, the MID is framed as a major investment in innovation, talent attraction, and economic development. Local officials have described it as a “massive opportunity for growth, employment, and prosperity.”
Of course, as with any project of this scale, many details remain to be refined: how the planning will evolve, what companies and institutions will commit, how residential or social infrastructure will be integrated, and over what timeframe full realisation will occur. But as of now, MID stands as a bold vision — a “Silicon-Valley style” ambition anchored in football’s most storied club and designed to reshape both Real Madrid’s economic footprint and Madrid region’s future as a hub of innovation.
