Magical Companies of Spain recently unveiled its model for connecting business and territory, aiming to channel the capacity for innovation, investment, and corporate leadership toward projects that drive economic, social, and environmental development in rural communities.
The initiative is part of the Magical Ecosystem of Spain, a network that for more than a decade has worked with nearly 170 municipalities across the country.
In an event held at Telefónica’s La Cabina before representatives from the business, institutional, and regional sectors, the initiative proposes a new model of collaboration capable of turning corporate commitments into real projects with economic, social, and environmental impact in rural areas.
Magical Companies of Spain functions as a bridge between companies and municipalities, organized through a certification and membership model that facilitates the development of concrete initiatives in the territory. The event was hosted by geographer and science communicator Jacob Petrus, who underscored the need to open a conversation about the role of business in the country’s future.
“Today we are opening a necessary conversation about how business can contribute to building the future of our regions,” he said.
The Company as a Strategic Engine for the Region
During the gathering, Albert Rivera, a member of the Steering Council of Magical Companies of Spain, argued that rural development must be part of the strategic agenda of companies. “Rural areas are one of the most undervalued strategic assets in our country,” Rivera said. “Investing in these territories is strategic; it’s country-building vision and also an opportunity to generate value and competitive differentiation.”
Rivera also highlighted that the project aims to build a new leadership in business tied to the territory and to the legacy that companies want to leave in society.
A Model Designed to Execute Real Projects
The project’s operations were explained by Stela Izquierdo, executive director of Magical Companies of Spain, who noted that the initiative was born to address one of the main barriers many companies face: turning their purpose into executable projects.
“Companies are no longer seeking symbolic gestures. They seek real impact,” she explained. “Magical Companies provides the tools to make it possible.”
The initiative already includes operating protocols, official certification, and different levels of membership (Silver, Gold, and Platinum), allowing companies to participate in projects aligned with their ESG strategy and with the real needs of the municipalities.
Public-Private Collaboration
For his part, José Manuel Villegas, also a steering council member, stressed that one of the initiative’s objectives is to facilitate collaboration between companies and local administrations. “Magical Companies functions as a one-stop shop that enables companies to develop projects quickly and safely in the territory,” he said.
At the event, Francisco Martín, president of the Magical Ecosystem of Spain, emphasized that the project represents the natural evolution of a model built over more than a decade from the ground up. “For more than a decade we have worked to show that our towns have enormous development potential,” he explained. “Now we take a further step: connecting that capacity with the talent, innovation, and investment of companies.”
The event concluded with a discussion among the Steering Council members—Albert Rivera, José Manuel Villegas, Francisco Martín, Stela Izquierdo, and Noelia Guzmán, Director of Magical Towns of Spain—about the real impact that business involvement can have in territories.
As Izquierdo summed up at the close of the event, “Magical Companies of Spain is not a symbolic recognition. It is a real-action network to build the future from our towns.”
