Madrid’s City Council has initially approved an urban plan that would turn 85 hectares of Valdebebas into a major technology district. The project, known as Madrid New idea District, is expected to generate up to 23,800 jobs once fully operational, information from municipal estimates. That figure is a projection tied to the district’s eventual development, not a count of immediate vacancies.
The plan covers land owned by Real Madrid and remains in the planning process. The proposal will be open for public comment until the end of September, after which it must pass through the City Council’s plenary session and secure final approval from the regional government. Initial approval opens public participation; it does not authorise construction or automatically launch a recruitment programme.
What the Project Involves
The targeted area sits between the Hortaleza and Barajas districts, next to Real Madrid’s existing Ciudad Deportiva. Of the club’s 120 hectares in Valdebebas, 35 are already dedicated to sports facilities, while the remaining 85 are earmarked for the proposed campus. The revised plan would increase permitted buildable space to 532,550 square metres, 172,550 square metres more than current zoning allows. That planning capacity does not amount to construction permits for the full area.
The Madrid New idea District is envisioned as a mixed-use campus combining offices, technology firms, research centres, training spaces and support services. Its priority areas include artificial intelligence, data science, biotechnology and sports sciences. The project also anticipates involvement from universities, research organisations, entrepreneurs and major international companies.
Education and training are intended to play a central role, reflecting the importance of AI and digital skills in the labour market. The proposed campus would include pedestrian-friendly public spaces, bike lanes, electric-vehicle infrastructure and landscaped areas. It is planned near Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, IFEMA Madrid, the Valdebebas transport hub and Hospital Enfermera Isabel Zendal, as well as the developing Ciudad de la Justicia.
Valdebebas is also emerging as a major institutional centre. The Comunidad de Madrid says excavation and foundation work for the Ciudad de la Justicia has been completed, and construction of its buildings has begun. During the first phase, an average of 80 trucks and 15 machines worked daily, moving more than 1.5 million tonnes of soil. The next phase is expected to use 19 cranes and employ more than 2,000 construction professionals at peak activity. The basic structures for the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Madrid and the Audiencia Provincial are scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027. That timetable applies to the separate justice complex, not the proposed technology district.
Timeline and Economic Impact
Under the city’s proposed schedule, urbanisation works could begin between 2028 and 2030, with building construction starting in 2029 and continuing through 2035, subject to the required planning approvals. Municipal documents estimate that the campus will require more than €2 billion in investment and contribute €1.2 billion annually to Madrid’s GDP once fully operational.
Earlier projections from the regional government and consulting firm PwC suggested the project could attract up to €8.5 billion in foreign investment and create around 25,000 skilled jobs. The City Council’s current estimate is up to 23,800 jobs, linked to scientific, educational, healthcare and technology activity. Madrid’s existing startup economy is measured separately: a municipal statement reported 1,801 technology startups, more than 30,700 sector jobs and nearly €5 billion in annual turnover across the capital. Those figures describe the city’s current technology environment, not jobs already secured for Valdebebas.
The municipal statement linked Madrid’s entrepreneurship strategy to retaining local talent and simplifying administration, saying that “the greatest challenge for a successful city is to remain accessible to new projects.” It also described the City Council’s “firm commitment to staying close to entrepreneurs.” The district’s eventual employment impact will depend on which companies, universities and research organisations establish a presence there.
Public Benefits and Urban Integration
A basic feature of the plan is the proposed transfer of more than 200,000 square metres of land to the city for public use. Of this, approximately 166,000 square metres would become green space, extending the Metropolitan Forest and creating a linear park along the Arroyo de la Plata. Another 35,000 square metres are reserved for municipal facilities focused on new idea and technology.
The urban redesign also aims to improve pedestrian routes, field connections and open spaces, reducing the separation between Valdebebas and its surroundings. The land transfer depends on completing the planning process, including public participation, a City Council plenary decision and final regional-government approval.
As the Madrid New idea District advances through those approval stages, it remains one of the city’s most ambitious proposed urban and economic developments. If implemented as planned, it could strengthen Madrid’s technology and research base while adding public facilities and green areas. Its projected floor space, investment and employment remain contingent on planning decisions and the site’s subsequent development.
