- MIPIM has always mirrored global investment sentiment. As you step into the role, how would you describe the current European investment landscape — and where do you see capital positioning itself in 2025–2026?
Currently, Europe is coming out of one of the toughest repricing phases in recent memory. Financing costs are finally moving in the right direction, long-dated yields have eased, and debt margins, while still above pre-Covid levels, are no longer widening.
We are not talking about a sudden flood of capital, but you can see institutions edging back into sectors with corrected pricing and durable demand: living, logistics, and data-enabled assets are top of that list. Healthcare is another area attracting serious long-term money because of demographic tailwinds.
At MIPIM, this shift is visible in the conversations happening between banks, developers and investors. The focus of this year’s event will be on clarity and foresight – helping decision-makers understand where capital is moving, what sectors are resilient, and how to navigate financing in a changing environment.
- In this context, how do you assess the role of Iberia within Europe’s real-estate map? Is Spain–Portugal gaining weight in institutional portfolios compared to traditional core markets like the UK, France or Germany?
Iberia’s role within Europe’s real estate map has changed dramatically in recent years. Institutional portfolios are no longer confined to the traditional core markets of the UK, France and Germany as investors are increasingly drawn to expanding urban areas that combine economic resilience with strong fundamentals – GDP growth, population increase, and robust consumer spending. Iberia ticks all those boxes.
Spain, in particular, has moved from being a secondary play to a strategic priority. Investment volumes are outperforming the European average, with Colliers reporting a 31% increase in 2025. What’s even more telling is INREV’s 2025 Investment Intentions Survey: for the first time since its inception, Spain ranks among the top three preferred destinations in Europe. That shift is being driven by sectors like living, retail and hospitality, which align with demographic and lifestyle trends.
Portugal is following a similar trajectory. Commercial real estate investment volumes rose by more than 60%, led by retail and hospitality. These aren’t isolated spikes: they reflect a structural repositioning of capital towards markets that offer growth and diversification.
- Southern Europe has become increasingly relevant for sectors such as logistics, data centres, living and hospitality. From MIPIM’s vantage point, which Iberian sectors are attracting the most international attention right now — and why?
Iberian peninsula is attracting strong international attention from investors across several sectors. Logistics remains a key driver, with Spain’s role as a gateway between Europe and global trade routes supporting continued rental growth. While supply is tight around Madrid and Barcelona, development is expanding into cities like Valencia, which signals depth in the market.
Retail is also performing well, supported by tourism and resilient consumer spending, with notable transactions in shopping centres and retail parks. Living and hospitality continue to draw capital, driven by housing shortages and demographic trends, particularly student accommodation.
One of the most dynamic shifts is in digital infrastructure, with many locations emerging as strategic hotspots for data centres. Iberia is one of them, thanks to the region's connectivity, energy transition potential and proximity to subsea cable routes: Spain alone recorded over 1 billion euros invested in data centres in just a year.
Reflecting this trend, MIPIM 2026 will introduce the Data Centers Summit — a dedicated forum to address the surge in AI, cloud, 5G and digital services. The programme will include country-focused roundtables on securing power, sites and capital, as well as designing and financing AI-ready infrastructure. These sessions aim to help investors, developers, operators and public authorities understand how data centres are reshaping investment strategies and urban development globally.
- One of MIPIM’s strengths is its ability to bring together public and private stakeholders. How do you evaluate the progress of Spain and Portugal in areas like urban regeneration, public–private partnerships, and land activation compared with other European regions?
Spain and Portugal have made notable progress in urban regeneration and public–private collaboration, and these are becoming defining features of their market positioning. Demand for regeneration projects is strong, particularly conversions of existing assets into residential use and the repositioning of retail properties.
Both countries have secured agreements with institutions like the European Investment Bank to finance sustainable housing and renovation projects, and these frameworks often extend support to SMEs that traditional lenders overlook. Mechanisms such as concession agreements — granting private developers rights to manage public land — are helping reduce upfront costs and accelerate delivery.
Land activation is another area where Iberia stands out. Strategically located plots, well connected but not saturated, are being prioritised for data centres, logistics and warehousing. Lower land costs and direct submarine cable connections give the region a competitive edge in digital infrastructure development.
Compared with other European regions, Iberia’s approach feels pragmatic and forward-looking: leveraging partnerships to unlock supply and using regeneration as a tool for resilience and growth.
- Investors are under growing pressure to meet energy-efficiency standards and decarbonisation goals. What lessons can Iberian cities offer on resilient urban planning — and what can they, in turn, learn from international benchmarks showcased at MIPIM?
Both Spain and Portugal have committed to carbon neutrality by 2050 and are outperforming the EU average in renewable energy: Around 60% of Spain’s electricity and roughly two-thirds of Portugal’s come from renewable sources. That foundation is shaping urban planning strategies, from electrification to stricter building standards
The next challenge is resilience. The blackout last April highlighted the risks of rapid renewable integration, including grid stability and the need for reliable baseload sources. This is where international benchmarks become valuable. Sessions at Road to Zero stage at MIPIM on AI and Technology powering the net-zero shift will explore practical solutions — from storage systems to smart-grid technology — that help cities combine ambitious sustainability targets with energy security.
Iberia’s progress shows how strong policy and investment can accelerate change, and its growing presence at MIPIM reflects that momentum. Last year, representation from the region increased by 9%, with mayors of Madrid and Porto among the delegates. For 2026, confirmed participation from cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon and Porto underlines Iberia’s role in shaping global conversations on resilient, sustainable urban development.
- MIPIM is increasingly positioning itself as a global conversation on the future of cities, not just a real-estate fair. As Director, what is your vision for strengthening the dialogue between European and other continents investors — and where does Iberia fit into that global exchange?
MIPIM has become the world's leading summit, not just for real estate but also for city-making. Our track record of international dialogue, including our main programme focusing on various markets and asset classes, shared themes such as the Road to Net Zero stage and Housing Matters! summit, and our closed-door Political Leaders Summit and Re-Invest, demonstrates how MIPIM has been bringing together leaders for a global conversation on what lies ahead for our sector, helping to turn uncertainty into decisions and deals.
This year, we are making this dialogue even more meaningful through an interactive experience with more ways to engage, connect and collaborate. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask the panel speakers questions in advance, interact with others via an app, and continue conversations after the official conferences.
We are also launching a new RE-Family Summit, created exclusively for global family offices and institutional investors. The closed-door format ensures a candid dialogue, allowing participants to engage in meaningful exchanges, compare approaches and build lasting relationships within the family office and institutional investor community.
The presence of Philippe Aghion as the keynote speaker for MIPIM 2026 embodies our ambition to shed light on major economic and technological challenges that have a widespread global impact. Winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics, his work on innovation, growth, and the energy transition provides essential insights for anticipating new urban challenges. We will also have significant investor representations this year, including the likes of Qatar Investment Authority, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Norges Bank Investment Management, Zurich Insurance Company and many more.
Iberia is a key part of this conversation. Spain and Portugal accounted for 50% of the Eurozone’s total growth in 2024, which is also dubbed the ‘Iberian Miracle’, and continue to show positive prospects thanks to their leadership in the green transition and economic resilience.