The City of Madrid reaffirms its commitment to open innovation as a lever to tackle real city and business challenges. It does so with the launch of a new edition of DesafIA Madrid, a program that connects startups, technology SMEs, and entrepreneurs with large companies and public services to develop AI-based solutions.
The call is now open and will run through April 30, with the aim of identifying projects capable of transforming processes, optimizing services, and improving decision-making through AI.
Applied Innovation to Real-World Problems
Unlike other entrepreneurship programs that are more theoretical, DesafIA Madrid focuses on concrete challenges posed by both the public sector and large companies. In total, eight challenges spanning from urban management to operational efficiency in industrial settings.
The approach is clear: select one solution per challenge and develop it in a real environment alongside the driving entity. To that end, the program provides a global funding close to €220,000 allocated to pilots, in addition to mentorship, strategic guidance, and access to investors and networking.
AI to Improve Public Services and Business Processes
In the public sector, the challenges focus on boosting the efficiency of municipal services. For example, SAMUR aims to optimize the management of its care teams, while areas such as Housing and Sports seek to leverage data analytics to improve planning and decision-making.
There is also room for more urban challenges, such as the one proposed in the Villaverde district, aimed at improving the management of public space usage, including aspects like outdoor dining terraces.
On the private side, participating companies reflect the private sector’s eagerness to accelerate AI-driven transformation. Firms such as IBM, Cabify, L’Oréal Groupe, or Grupo EULEN propose challenges ranging from agent-based AI for public management to optimizing industrial processes or enhancing urban mobility through multimodal APIs.
A Bridge Between Startups and Large Organizations
Beyond technology development, DesafIA Madrid positions itself as a meeting point between the startup ecosystem and the organizations seeking pragmatic innovation. Startups not only have the chance to validate their solutions in real-world settings but also to gain visibility and access potential customers and investors.
From the City Council’s side, the message is clear: AI is no longer a promise but a key tool to address the challenges of large cities. As Councilor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Ángel Niño, noted, the goal is to use advanced technology to respond to real problems and improve residents’ lives.
The program will culminate with the validation of the pilots and the presentation of results at innovation ecosystem events, such as Demo Days. A showcase that will allow measuring the real impact of the solutions developed and their scalability potential.
In a context where AI has become a strategic axis for companies and administrations, initiatives like DesafIA Madrid reinforce the role of cities as innovation hubs and laboratories for new technological solutions.
