The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has presented a new line of subsidies for the development and application of drones in the business sector. Concurrently, a one-stop shop is being finalized to centralize municipal procedures for professional and commercial drone operators, in addition to deploying a regional network for emergency services, logistics, and air taxis.
During a visit to the Telefónica Dron Center, Díaz Ayuso emphasized that the Community of Madrid represents "innovation and future," being a benchmark for "great opportunities, research, and cutting-edge technology" for companies and public services.
As part of the Community of Madrid's Drone Strategy, a dronodrome for advanced research and a specialized training center will be established in Fuenlabrada, focusing on the training of young pilots, mechanics, and developers.
The regional government already utilizes drones to enhance public services, such as emergency support through Summa 112, providing real-time imagery for faster decision-making. They are also employed in forest fire early detection using artificial vision.
Among the implemented projects is "ALE-HOP," for the urgent transport of medicines and sanitary material between hospitals. The Red de Emprendimiento Digital (RETECH) promotes initiatives like the aerospace node in Tres Cantos, focused on air mobility and communications, and acceleration programs for sector startups.
The aid line, with a budget of 1.45 million euros, is aimed at SMEs and mid-caps with headquarters or a work center in the region. Subsidies will cover productive investments (up to 350,000 euros), consulting and certification services (up to 150,000 euros), and event attendance (up to 100,000 euros). For SMEs, funding ranges from 10% to 35% of productive investments and 50% of other expenses. Mid-caps can receive between 10% and 15% of investment costs.
The Community of Madrid leads the sector in Spain, hosting 30% of drone manufacturing and assembly companies and ranking second in registered professional operators, with approximately 3,200 active. In training, it hosts 31% of companies approved by the State Aviation Safety Agency and is a leader in official pilot and technician certification, as well as a preferred destination for sector startups.
