Transportation in the Community of Madrid
With a first-class transport infrastructure,
the Community of Madrid is at the forefront of the transformation
of the sector through the adoption of new technologies and digitalisation
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Madrid: a strategic hub for the Transportation sector
The Community of Madrid offers a first-class Transportation infrastructure, with an extensive network of highways and high-speed railways. Madrid is also the main air hub in southern Europe thanks to the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, which manages 35% of air traffic between Europe and Latin America with a capacity for 70 million passengers a year, and leads Spain in freight transport with more than 560,000 tonnes per year.
Madrid ranks first in the ranking of logistics competitiveness in Spain, with 38 million square metres dedicated to this sector. 75% of logistics companies operating in Spain are based in the region, benefiting from its excellent land and air connectivity. The Logistics and Transportation sector occupies seventh place in economic importance in Madrid.
The Transport Ecosystem in Madrid
The Community of Madrid is a key link between Europe, Latin America and other regions of the world. Its diversified ecosystem includes large companies, startups, and research centers.
Driving companies
The region is home to several leading companies in transport and distribution, such as SEUR, UPS, DHL, Luis Simões, CEVA Logistics, Maersk, Schenker, Ikea, Inditex and El Corte Inglés. It also has key infrastructures such as Mercamadrid, which is not only the largest food distribution center in Spain, but is also the largest perishable food market in Europe, and its fish area is the second largest in the world, after Tokyo. Its scope of action is 12 million people, within a radius of 500 kms, which reinforces Madrid's position as one of the main Logistics hubs in Europe.
Main subsectors are logistics and distribution (SEUR, Correos, DHL,…), Sustainable urban mobility (Cabify, Zity,…) and Rail and air transport (Renfe, Adif, Barajas Airport,…).
Innovation in the Transportation Sector
Madrid not only has a diverse and dynamic business fabric, but it is also home to specialised clusters that act as catalysts for innovation in the Transportation and Logistics sector, such as CITET, a research and technological development centre that brings together more than 100 organisations.
tThe Madrid City Council has launched a large urban sandbox that allows innovative products, services and projects related to mobility and transport to be tested in real conditions and safely. It is estimated that this initiative can attract up to 500 million euros and create more than 5,000 technological jobs.
The main areas of innovation are:
Smart urban mobility: companies such as Cabify and Zity are leading shared mobility solutions. The City Council promotes the digitalization of public transport with electric buses and contactless payment platforms.
Digitalization in Logistics: Startups such as Usyncro have developed a platform that synchronizes participants in the shipment of goods, optimizing processes and improving efficiency in the supply chain. Adolfo Suárez – Barajas airport has, for example, intelligent systems that allow real-time monitoring of traffic and public transport, supported by the use of Big Data.
Autonomous vehicles: Madrid participates in several European consortiums developing infrastructures adapted to this technology
Sustainability: Madrid 360 is an Environmental Sustainability strategy of the Madrid City Council designed to reduce polluting emissions and transform the capital into a more sustainable city that addresses the renewal of vehicle fleets, promotion of public transport, integration of various means of transport and reinforcement of road safety.
Talent and Human Capital
Madrid has a solid base of talent specialized in Transport and Logistics thanks to a wide availability of academic training:
Technical University of Madrid (UPM) offers advanced training in the transport sector through its School of Civil Engineering, the sixth best school in the world in its area (Shanghai Ranking). The Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering trains professionals specialized in transport infrastructures, such as the design of roads, railways and urban planning. In addition, the Master's Degree in Civil Engineering focuses specifically on the technical, management and planning aspects of transport systems. The UPM also promotes research in this field through its Mobility of the Future cluster – moviTUR, which develops projects in areas such as intelligent transport systems, sustainable mobility and emission reduction in urban transport, and its Transport Research Centre: Transyt-UPM, focused on multidisciplinary mobility and transport research.
Camilo José Cela University (UCJC) offers the Bachelor's Degree in Transport Systems Engineering and the Master's Degree in Transport and Logistics Management, which addresses topics such as strategic transport planning, the optimisation of Logistics networks and sustainability in the supply chain.
Carlos III University (UC3M) has a Master's Degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, which focuses on the optimization of transport and distribution processes. On the other hand, the Postgraduate Programme in Sustainable Urban Mobility addresses the analysis of public transport systems and infrastructure planning. In addition, UC3M develops lines of research in areas such as transport systems modelling, multimodal transport and smart mobility solutions.
Autonoma University (UAM) offers the Bachelor's Degree in Transport and Logistics Engineering, which trains professionals in this sector. In addition, the Master's Degree in Urban and Territorial Planning emphasizes mobility. UAM research groups work on topics such as the analysis of transport networks, sustainability in urban transport and the environmental impact of transport systems.
IE Business School has a wide range of specialized programs in the Transportation sector. Through its Executive Education programs, the university offers modules and courses on Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Sustainable Transport, as well as Innovation in Urban Mobility. These programs focus on topics such as the digitalization of Transportation, sustainable mobility strategies, and technological transformation in the sector.
A consolidated startup ecosystem
The Community of Madrid has 389 Tech Companies in the Transportation sector, one of the most dynamic ecosystems in Europe. With constant growth, Madrid occupies the fifth position in Europe after London, Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam.
TCitiBox, JoinUp and Hoop Carpool are some of the prominent startups in the sector in Madrid, which have closed significant investment rounds in recent years.
Transportation Startups in Madrid
Nr of Tech Companies
389 (5th of European Hubs)
Prominent Transportation Agents in Madrid
Main Transportation Events in Madrid
IAA 2024 Leading fair for the sale of services, materials and components for bus fleets
WConnecta 24 International event that connects companies and professionals in road freight transport.
Industry Overview, Evolution and Key Trends
The transport sector encompasses all activities related to the movement of people, goods and services from one place to another. It includes a wide range of subsectors and services, such as land, sea and air transport, as well as the infrastructures and technologies that underpin them. This sector is crucial for the global economy, as it connects markets, reduces access times to goods and services, and promotes mobility in society.
Some key trends are:
Sustainable transport and decarbonisation: The transition to electric, hybrid and hydrogen vehicles is transforming the sector in response to global demands for carbon emission reduction.
Mobility as a Service (MaaS): Platforms such as Cabify, Uber or Moovit allow users to plan, book and pay for various transport services from a single application.
Automation and autonomous vehicles: Companies like Tesla and Waymo are leading innovation in autonomous driving systems, reducing reliance on human drivers.
Digitalization and real-time data: IoT and big data technologies optimize route planning, traffic management, and user experience.
Smart and connected transport: Smart cities are integrating connected transport solutions to improve urban mobility and reduce congestion.
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