About this tour
On this tour, you will explore two of Spain’s most dynamic innovation ecosystems. Beginning in Madrid and continuing in Málaga and the Costa del Sol, this journey showcases how cultural identity, creativity, digital transformation, and regenerative development can inspire opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial thinking.
Madrid, the political and economic capital of Spain, is a hub for cultural institutions, global talent, public innovation, and fast-growing startup activity. It’s an ideal starting point to understand how large metropolitan areas foster competitive and resilient innovation ecosystems.
Málaga, once defined primarily by sun-and-beach tourism, has emerged as a Mediterranean center of digital industries, creative placemaking, contemporary culture, and sustainable coastal development. The region offers unique insights into community-rooted entrepreneurship, regenerative tourism, and local identity as drivers of innovation.
The tour sharply contrasts Nordic cultural values to the Mediterranean mindset, where expression, community, hospitality, and experiential culture shape business, creativity, and wellbeing.
Learning outcomes
- Compare economic and cultural transformations in Madrid and Málaga to understand how cities evolve into hubs of creativity and innovation
- Recognize how Mediterranean values shape business culture and entrepreneurial mindsets
- Use place-based research methods (observation, immersion, community analysis) to identify unmet social needs and opportunities
- Analyze cultural values, identities, and ecosystems as inspiration for regenerative, socially grounded entrepreneurial start-ups
- Implement fieldwork findings to design entrepreneurial ideas rooted in sustainability, creativity, and local innovation
Possible activities
- Explore major museums, cultural districts, and heritage sites in Madrid and Málaga to understand identity, placemaking, cultural storytelling, and creative regeneration
- Visit public innovation hubs, digital labs, tech parks, and startups to learn about AI, creative industries, and emerging entrepreneurial models
- Conduct fieldwork in Benalmádena Pueblo and coastal neighborhoods to examine family businesses, traditional crafts, micro-hospitality, eco-tourism, and community-based economic practices
- Participate in design thinking walks, innovation challenges, storytelling workshops, and hackathons