Díaz Ayuso expects these projects to create jobs and drive the region’s digital transformation. The plans of the Community of Madrid include contributing to the education of those who need to handle new technologies.
The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, recently announced they would create technology clusters. These will serve as strategic instruments to digitally transform the autonomous region located in the center of Spain.
The official website of the Community specified the specific purposes of these technology clusters. They will focus on developing companies and projects based on blockchains, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT).
The Community of Madrid adds that it will allocate EUR 1.6 million for deploying these projects in the first half of 2022.
Díaz Ayuso said that digital transformation would contribute to the internationalization of productivity in the autonomous region of Madrid. She also stated that this would help them reduce costs, obtain resources, and improve knowledge.
The official announced that investment in these projects would generate many direct and indirect jobs in the region. She also mentioned the problem of the lack of digital literacy as a hindering factor of the plan. For that reason, the Community of Madrid wants to implement a technological training plan.
Digital revolution scares those who find it hard to learn to use these new tools since they have to reinvent themselves. Díaz Ayuso stated that the Community of Madrid bets that everyone can handle technology regardless of their age.
According to the president of the Community of Madrid, the goal is to become an essential digital node for southern Europe. For this reason, she considers necessary the development of infrastructure, political will, qualified workforce, and committed companies.
There is a Growing Interest in Blockchain Technology in Spain
The Community of Madrid makes that announcement amid growing interest in the implementation of blockchain technology in Spain.
Regarding this trend, the Senate of Spain approved the bill for the digital transformation of the financial system in November. That change includes FinTech platforms, blockchain projects, Bitcoin (BTC), and other cryptocurrencies.
Legislators unanimously cast 262 votes in favor of the creation of the regulatory sandbox or test space. The new law came into force when it appeared in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
For that reason, there has been a rollout of preparations for the FinTech sandbox this year, opening its second call this month. The process of registering the candidatures of initiatives will remain open until October 23rd.
Nine of the entrepreneurial ventures admitted during the first call have to do with cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. The selected initiatives include platforms for payment with crypto assets, digital identity, and solutions based on distributed ledgers.
In May, Spain’s Ministry of Economic Affairs said it planned to introduce a reform to use blockchain platforms in the stock market. They explained that they expected the exchange not to have to go through a government administrative chamber.
By Alexander Salazar
