• The director of CloserStill Media's technology and e-commerce division in Spain, Simon Blazeby, has pointed out that Spanish companies have increased their investment in AI by 75%.
• The Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, Carme Artigas, has assured that "Spain has mobilized 500 million euros in terms of AI", of which 100 million have been used to integrate it in companies, especially SMEs. 
• According to the DESI index, Spain is 10 points above the European average in basic and advanced skills, which places it, according to Artigas, as an "international benchmark in digital transformation".

Spanish companies have invested more than 220,000 million dollars in cybersecurity, according to data from CloserStill Media, organizer of the Madrid Tech Show that kicked off today at IFEMA. During the inauguration, the president of CloserStill Media Spain, Agustín Torres, Torres also pointed out that Spanish companies spend 24% on IT and cybersecurity and it is "the biggest concern for 48% of companies".

Torres also pointed out that "60% of companies that use AI in decision making are more profitable and 40% have improved their profits". He also indicated that "95% of operators and data centers already have strategic planning for their sustainability".

Another of the data he highlighted was that Spain is above the European average in e-commerce. In this regard, he recalled that "we have gone from 3.5% in 2015 to 10% in 2023 and 15% expected for 2025".

For his part, the director of CloserStill's Technology and E-Commerce division in Spain, Simon Blazeby, said that Spanish companies have increased their investment in AI by 75%. He also stated that in two years "Spain will surpass France in data center infrastructures".

The inauguration of Madrid Tech Show was attended by the Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, Carme Artigas, the Minister of Digitalization of the Community of Madrid, Miguel López Valverde, and the President of the Madrid Chamber of Commerce, Ángel Asencio. This is the largest technology event in Spain with nearly 300 exhibitors and more than 25,000 visitors.

Spain, second country in digitization of the Administration

The Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence has pointed out that in "four years Spain has gone from not being on the map to becoming an international benchmark in fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Cloud or Big Data". In this sense, she has indicated that, according to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) "our country is 10 points above the European average in terms of basic and advanced digital skills".

According to Artigas, the boost in digitalization is due "in large part to the Next Generation funds and public-private collaboration. The Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence recalled that 25 billion euros have been mobilized in digital transformation and that the government has requested an addendum of 90 billion more.

Artigas also stated that Spain is already the second European country in the digitization of public administration. He also highlighted the improvement in connectivity by achieving 100% of ultra-fast band in urban areas by 2023 and 100% of fiber in rural areas. 

Regarding AI, Artigas said that "Spain has mobilized 500 million euros in AI", of which 100 million have been used to integrate it in companies, especially SMEs.

For his part, the Minister of Digitalization of the Community of Madrid stressed that "the competitive advantages of Madrid to attract investment due to its business ecosystem, its strategic location and for being a leader in fiber in southern Europe".

Finally, the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Madrid has assured that companies that have opted for digitization are 10% more productive, hence the commitment of his organization to support events such as Madrid Tech Show.

The technology event has exceeded all expectations and has doubled its exhibition space, with two pavilions at the fairgrounds and exhibitors from sectors such as cybersecurity, Big Data, AI or e-commerce. CloserStill Media forecasts an economic impact in the city of more than 50 million.

About CloserStill

CloserStill media is a London-based company dedicated to the organization, worldwide, of trade fairs linked to technology and healthcare. Fairs are held in London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Singapore and Hong Kong. The CloserStill team is made up of more than 700 professionals in its offices in London, Barcelona, Paris, New York, Berlin, Singapore, Santa Rosa and Hong Kong. The company has received more than thirty awards over the past seven years, including the coveted Best Business Exhibition, awarded seven times. In 2018, 2019 and 2020, the Sunday Times has highlighted it as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. In addition, the Financial Times FT1000 Index named CloserStill as the fastest growing exhibition organizer in Europe.