Las Rozas joins a new R&D&i project as an urban “living lab” for AI applied to cities

This is the CIRCULINK industrial research project, which aims to develop an intelligent AI‑powered platform to facilitate the efficient use of data and circulareconomy models in the fields of mobility, water, and energy

Las Rozas de Madrid (Madrid Region-Spain) has just joined a new technology research and innovation project. As part of a national consortium, the city will serve as a testing ground to validate the technology developed within the CIRCULINK Project. This initiative involves the development of a digital platform for the intelligent management of resources in urban and industrial environments using Artificial Intelligence.

With CIRCULINK, Las Rozas now has a total of 16 national and international R&D&I projects in which it participates with Las Rozas Innova. The Public Innovation and Technological Development Company of Las Rozas City Council has a dedicated department focused on innovation projects, enabling the city to take advantage of funding opportunities, technological development, and connections with other cities and organisations seeking innovative solutions to shared challenges.

The CIRCULINK project is funded by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism of the Spanish Government through the Support Programme for Innovative Business Clusters (AEI) under the “Climate‑neutral and Smart Cities” challenge,, The project will run for one year. Coordinated by the Smart City Cluster, the project includes participation from the solar‑energy cluster (SOLARTYS), the Automotive and Mobility Cluster of Galicia (CEAGA), Catalan Water Partnership, Foqum, GESOLAB, Go Zero Waste, AVENTEC, and EndeF Engineering.

The city as an urban living lab

In this new R&D&i project, Las Rozas is the only city participating as a testing environment, becoming the urban living lab where the platform’s use cases will be validated. In addition, Las Rozas Innova will collaborate in functional design and identification and definition of applicable scenarios in the field of mobility, with a focus on urban logistics.

Among the use cases proposed by Las Rozas to the consortium, one of the most notable is the exploration of reverse‑logistics models using municipal infrastructure such as public car parks. Through simulation, the city will analyse whether these spaces could serve as strategic points for managing returns and parcel pick‑ups, thus optimising logistics flows and promoting circular economy practices.

Las Rozas' participationin CIRCULINK is carried out through Las Rozas Innova, the Municipal Innovation Company of the City Council, and it is part of the strategy to attract and promote innovation projects in the municipality. This strategy has enabled the city to establish itself as an urban laboratory for innovation and research in Europe, gaining access to cutting‑edge technologies applied to cities.