Madrid
The Spanish capital has a population of around 3.4 million people while the metropolitan area has a population of about 6.7 million. Aside from government functions, Madrid is an important financial and business centre, hosting the headquarters of most prominent Spanish companies. Moreover, it is also a crucial location for the regional headquarters of international corporations. According to AseBio, the Spanish biotech association, Madrid accounts for about 17 percent of Spain’s biotech companies, ranking it in second position after Catalonia which has 24 percent. In the Life Sciences Real Estate ranking of 21 European cities, published on 30 September 2022, Madrid ranked three places behind Barcelona based on these three factors: depth of the talent pool; openness to people and ideas; the presence of local risk capital. The competition between the two cities of Madrid and Barcelona is regarded as a healthy one as both cities strive to attract additional international resources. Examples of companies operating from Madrid are numerous. Merck has located its global growth hormone production in Spain, while Bayer’s manufacturing facility for capsule production in Madrid is considered one of the most modern centres in Europe. According to Invest in Spain, multinationals such as FAMAR (a European contract manufacturing and development partner for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry) chose to locate there, as did Meiji Pharma Spain (formerly Tedec Meiji Farma), the manufacturer and seller of pharmaceutical products. Lilly and GSK also have R&D centres of excellence in the region. Lilly’s research centre is located at Alcobendas, located about 13 km (8 miles) north of Madrid, while GSK is established at Tres Cantos. Two years ago, Pfizer reinforced its commitment to Spain by choosing its biotechnology plant in San Sebastián de los Reyes, located close to Alcobendas, to distribute its genetic therapies throughout Europe. MD Anderson Cancer Centre opened in Madrid as the first subsidiary in the world of MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston Texas, a prestigious oncology centre.Key locations in Madrid
The main locations for life science companies can be found in the periphery of Madrid and specifically in the two sub-markets of Tres Cantos and Fuencarral, both marketed under the MaSID (Madrid Science and Innovation District) label. MaSID serves as a scientific and technological hub, where companies can collaborate and function across multiple buildings, while maintaining the unified feel of a single campus.Tres Cantos
Located about 20 kilometres (12 miles) to the north of the city of Madrid, Tres Cantos is a planned town, built in the 20th century and conceived as a satellite city of Madrid by urban planners. In 2010 it was named a Science and Innovation City by the Spanish Ministry. Nowadays, the city is home to 3,000-plus companies, 800 of which are international. Biotech, air industry and innovation companies feature heavily. 52 per cent of the employed population are professional technical staff.Fuencarral
Fuencarral-El Pardo is one of the 21 districts that form the city of Madrid. It has about 220,000 residents and is located to the north of Madrid next to the M-30 ring road. The district is keen to position itself as a premier innovation hub, based on its proximity to health facilities and research centres. Its location next to Chamartin train station and within reach of Madrid airport makes it accessible. The district is getting a facelift and features one of Madrid’s major building projects: the transformation of the former CLESA factory into a life sciences research centre. CLESA stands for Compañía Centrales Lecheras Españoles S.A. (“Spanish Dairy Plants Corporation Ltd.”) and this factory building was used for bottling dairy products. The building is an example of 20th century architecture, and its sensitive redevelopment will be undertaken by Kadans Science Partner, with the support of international engineering AECOM and the environmental and sustainability consultancy ERM. 10,500 sq m (113,000 sq ft) of CLESA is dedicated to R&D and collaboration. The Fuencarral hub can offer tailor-made laboratory space and adaptation of the building’s facilities for wet and dry laboratories. This is also supported by proactive local and regional authorities. The location also benefits from its proximity to top universities and research institutions.Capreon invests €30 million in Madrid
Capreon, the Noé Group’s real estate investment arm, has announced a €30 million (£26 million) investment in three buildings in the Fuencarral district of Madrid, Spain. This acquisition of three income-producing buildings of 10,000 sq m (108,000 sq ft) marks the second addition to Capreon’s European smart workplaces portfolio. Capreon has now established a local asset manager which will be responsible for the delivery of the business plan and will also consider new investments close to research functions in Madrid and Barcelona, as well as in regional technology parks. Two thirds of in-place income is from the medical and health sector and related services, including an in-vitro diagnostics firm which renewed its lease until 2028 as part of the negotiated transaction. The portfolio will be enhanced with additional laboratory space of an international calibre.It’s not all about MaSID
However, there are also several life science companies that are opting for other districts closer to the city. The location around Calle Julian Camarillo marketed under the name MADBIT is an example. The area was renamed MADBIT due to the high number of technological and industrial companies present there. For example, Interxion has three data centres in the area and is preparing a fourth. MADBIT has access to several metro stations and according to local brokers, rents are still reasonable, and the area is well located between the M30 and M40 ring roads. In October last year it was announced that Moderna planned to open a vaccine quality testing laboratory in Madrid, the manufacturer’s first centre outside the US. The chosen location in MADBIT is a new building called OM Infinito, owned by Torre Rioja. The location is adjacent to Moderna’s Spanish partner Rovi, where Moderna’s messenger mRNA is produced. Moderna will occupy 4,500 sq m (48,420 sq ft) of the OM Infinito building. This facility will be responsible for testing the vaccines that come out of the Rovi factory in San Sebastián de los Reyes. The neighbourhood chosen is that of the Julián Camarillo industrial estate, which the owners Disit Biotech is another example of a life sciences company locating away from MaSID. This biotechnology research company is to be found in Fuenlabrada to the south-west of Madrid, within a university hospital.