An Analysis of the Spanish Aerospace Sector: The Case of the Start-Up Ecosystem in Madrid

Abstract After launching the First Survey on the Spanish aerospace industry, important results were obtained, which helped to delve into the roots of the digital transformation (DT) of this sector, focussing on the Madrid region (Spain). From this type of study, which had not been carried out until now at the regional level, extremely interesting data have emerged that allow us to define the situation of Madrid companies in the aerospace sector. We have characterised and quantified the influence of what we have called ‘transformative enablers’. We have also analysed their relationships with the general characteristics of the companies, such as location, number of employees, legal form or type of company. We also obtained interesting conclusions about the role of respondents within organisations to discover the ‘capillarity’ of their situations and thus understand the degree of DT in terms of whether they achieve the so-called Industry 4.0 (Fourth Industrial Revolution) specifications. Finally, we have carried out a monographic study of the disruptive innovations within the start-up ecosystem to understand its definition and scope in the aerospace industry as a precursor of the latter’s DT.