The City of Madrid has inaugurated its new Center of Excellence and Data Office (CEOD), a strategic milestone in advancing data-driven, smart and sustainable urban development. The centre is located at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Telecomunicación (Technical School of Telecommunications Engineering) of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, placing it at the heart of academic excellence, innovation and public value creation.

In a context where Europe is strongly committed to a new generation of smart, connected and climate-neutral cities, the CEOD highlights the pivotal role of public and private data. Data is increasingly recognised as a key resource of the modern economy: when used collaboratively and responsibly, it enables cities and their partners to transform information into concrete solutions that improve daily life for citizens – from mobility and logistics to urban services and environmental quality.

The choice of location at the Polytechnic University of Madrid is particularly significant. It creates a direct bridge between research, education, public authorities and industry, facilitating knowledge transfer and stimulating collaboration with companies and innovators. This will help accelerate the development, testing and deployment of new data-driven services for the city.

To mark the opening, a high-level round table brought together representatives from Ferrovial, Mercamadrid, S.A., Alsa, PreZero España and T-Systems Iberia. Their participation underlined that the ecosystem around data and digital transformation in Madrid is already active and vibrant – and that public–private collaboration is essential to improving urban services and the quality of life of citizens.

The inauguration of the CEOD is an important step forward for Madrid and the wider EDINT network, reinforcing shared ambitions to build smarter, more sustainable and citizen-centred cities across Europe.

Learn more about our Lead City Madrid here.