madri+d. Innnovation and Research System. RDI

There are two main kinds of organisations directly performing R&D activities in Spain: higher education establishments and public research institutions. Technology centres in the region are rather scarce.

Higher Education organisations

There are 15 universities in Madrid region and more than 20 public research institutions depending on the State Administration. Out of the 121 total research institutes of CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas) 48 are placed in Madrid.

Out of the 69 public universities in Spain, 6 of them are located in Madrid - 16% of total students - depending on the Regional budget (UNED has a National statute). Additionally 8 universities are private (2 of them linked to agreements with the Vatican). The total 15 Comunidad de Madrid universities are distributed in 20 campuses situated in the city of Madrid and 10 other municipalities. 86% of the university students in Madrid are registered in public universities and 14% in private ones.

The Madrid Private Universities are Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio, Universidad Antonio de Lebrija, Universidad Camilo José Cela, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, Universidad Pontificia Comillas and Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca. All the private universities but one (U.P. Comillas) are mainly focused in social sciences therefore having only a small research activity.

Public Universities	Students (1st & 2nd degrees) - academic year 2003-2004	Teaching and Research personnel 2004	Spanish Patent Applications (OEPM) 2001-2004	EPO Patent Applications 2001-2004	Spin offs created 2004-2007
Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)	86 951	5 843	51	9	9
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)	39 411	3 271	46	6	13
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM)	30 053	2 247	17	5	7
Universidad de Alcalá (UA)	19 040	1 650	18	0	7
Universidad Carlos III (UC3M)	16 359	1 597	15	0	10
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC)	14 400	1 113	3	1	6
Total regional	166 803	15 721	150	21	52
Universidad Nacional a Distancia (UNED)¹	143 701	n.a.	6	1	4
UNED is a national university depending on the Ministry of Education (MEC), with central headquarters in Madrid

Nearly all the EU university degrees are represented in the Madrid universities (as an example, UCM offers 75 different degrees) which constitute the strongest higher education agglomeration in Spain and one of the most important in Europe.

Public (National) research institutions

Most of the national research institutions have their headquarters and main research facilities and labs located in the region of Madrid. They are linked to the National Ministries.

Public (Regional) research institutions

Since 2006 Comunidad de Madrid is implementing the IMDEA; Regional advanced research institutes, in 9 different fields of science. They are developed in cooperation with the regional universities, being also involved in its development a large number of important companies based in the region. In some of the institute other public Administrations are also taking part in the endeavour.

Technology centres

There are two kinds of technology centres in the region:

Regional development institutions emerged in Spain since the early '80s as central actors of the political scenery, taking care more and more of inter-sectoral issues and enlarging their field of competences to innovation, R&D and higher education along the following 20 years. That applies to the Comunidad de Madrid, created as a one-province Autonomous Community in 1983, being one of the Spain's 17 Autonomous Communities (Regions).

The approaches that the Madrid Regional Administration proposes in its policies and strategies are mainly limited by the share of competences between the Region and the State's General Administration established in the Spanish legal system, also conditioned by the European Union regulations and directives. The legal autonomy of the Universities and the potential role to be played by the local Administration (mainly large municipalities, such as the City of Madrid) are also elements to be considered in the development of research and innovation policies.

Science and Technology Parks based in the Comunidad de Madrid (use hyperlinks for further individual information):

Other additional large infrastructures are currently planned: IMADE is promoting the City of Finance in Boadilla and the City of Knowledge in Colmenar Viejo while the Madrid municipality is developing the City of Madrid Technology Park in Villaverde.

The Comunidad de Madrid (Economy department - D.G. Innovation) has put in place since 2004 a programme of Centros de Difusión Tecnológica (CDT) - technology dissemination experts based in Chambers of Commerce and Business Association territorial offices, which role is supporting firms innovation through information about technology and public programmes (national, regional and European) participation.

madrid innovation and research system