Defence Sector in the Community 

of Madrid

Madrid has the largest national concentration of industrial

defence companies, research centres and a consolidated

ecosystem of Tech Companies with dual-use technologies.

Madrid, the epicentre of Spain's defence industry

The Community of Madrid is the Spanish region with the highest concentration of industrial companies dedicated to Defence and Security with 267 companies, which constitute (23.5%) of the main high and medium-high technology companies in Spain. In the Community of Madrid, several leading private companies in the defence sector operate, such as Indra Sistemas, a Spanish multinational that develops defence, security, transport, energy, telecommunications and financial services systems.

Other relevant companies based in Madrid are GMV, which specialises in systems engineering, software development and the provision of services in sectors such as aerospace, defence and security. Likewise, and Tecnobit - Grupo Oesía with important activity and offices in Madrid, focusing on communications technologies, avionics systems and radars for Defence. And ISDEFE is an engineering company owned by the Ministry of Defence that operates as a private company providing consulting and engineering services in the field of Defence and Security.

A sector concentrated in several industrial hubs in the region 

Getafe is home to an ecosystem of companies specialising in the defence and aerospace industry. In the field of the manufacture of aeronautical components, the presence of Airbus Defence and Space stands out, together with companies such as CESA, specialized in hydraulic and electromechanical systems, AERTEC Solutions, an aeronautical engineering company active in design and manufacturing, Brayner, an expert in precision cutting tools, and MYC Aeronáutica, focused on assembly and tooling engineering.

Headquartered in Tres Cantos, Hispasat is the leading Spanish communications satellite operator, providing a wide range of services through its satellite fleet, including broadband, audiovisual content broadcasting, corporate networks and solutions for the Defence and Security sector. Also located in Tres Cantos is Thales Alenia Space Spain, part of an international group, specialized in the development and manufacture of equipment and subsystems for satellites. Its experience covers both communications satellites and observation and navigation satellites.

Headquartered in Alcalá de Henares, Escribano Mechanical & Engineering (EM&E), is a leading supplier of weapons systems, remotely controlled weapons stations and other land, air and naval defence equipment.

Shaping business cooperation, Madrid is home to the headquarters of the Spanish Association of Defence, Security, Aeronautics and Space Technology Companies (TEDAE), CyberMadrid, an association in the cybersecurity sector promoted by the Madrid City Council and a territorial delegation of the Defence Industry Cluster (CID). And Fundación Círculo is a space for meeting and debate for the exchange of information and experiences between all the actors in the Defence and Security technology sector.

High concentration of research activities and talent 

Dependent on the Spanish Ministry of Defence, the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA) collaborates with companies in the sector, universities and other research centres, contributing directly to the development of new capabilities for the Armed Forces and the Defence industry. INTA operates NASA's Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC), a fundamental ground station for communications with deep space missions. The Center for Astrobiology (CAB), a joint center of the CSIC and INTA, carries out research in areas such as advanced sensors, complex data analysis and the understanding of extreme environments, which have dual applications in the field of Defence.

A consolidated ecosystem of Defence Startups

In addition to tech companies specialising in the defence sector such as Axter Technologies, Advanced Radar Technologies, Aurea Avionics or Defsense, many other companies based in the Community of Madrid develop technologies with a high potential for dual use, for example, in the field of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence applied to data analysis or the development of advanced sensors.

As an example, the ESA-BIC Comunidad de Madrid programme of the European Space Agency - Spanish Space Agency and the Community of Madrid, managed by Fundación madri+d, contributes to the creation of startups in the field of Defence, in areas such as Earth observation with security applications, secure communications via satellite, or the development of materials and technologies with dual use (civil and military).

Some Prominent Defence Agents in Madrid

 

Main Defence events in Madrid

Feindef International Defence and Security Fair of Spain, a key meeting platform for the sector's ecosystem at a national and international level

Eudis Defence Hackathon Its purpose is to stimulate collaboration and innovative development within the field of Defence at European level.

tecnosec The Spanish high-tech event for the global security of institutions, security forces and critical infrastructures, focused on contacts and knowledge exchange.

Cyber Security World Madrid The central event in Spain for business and institutional cybersecurity.

RootedCON RootedCON promotes knowledge sharing within the security community.