Week 2 spotlighted Spain’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, marketing insights, and the future of leadership in a technology-driven world
The second week of the EPGP international immersion unfolded in Madrid, accompanied by Prof. Amar Sapra, Chairperson, EPGP, offering participants a deep dive into Spain’s entrepreneurial landscape, its marketing and business practices, and its role as a bridge between Europe and Latin America. Through a series of faculty-led sessions, company visits, and cultural experiences, the week combined academic rigor with practical insights and global perspectives.
Day 1
The first day opened with sessions on the ‘European and Spanish Startup Ecosystem and doing Business in Spain and in Madrid’ led by Dr. Fernando Moroy Hueto, Finance area, ESCP. Drawing on his decades of executive experience in Spain’s financial sector, he provided students with a comprehensive understanding of how startups in Madrid grow and sustain themselves.
Key themes included the discipline of bootstrapping, the balance between equity and debt financing, and the importance of institutions like ENISA that support entrepreneurial ventures through participative loans. Spain’s 3,000-plus startups, though still largely in early stages, reflect a vibrant environment where foreign capital plays an increasingly significant role. Madrid itself stood out as a hub of innovation, fiscally competitive, globally connected, and attractive to talent due to its high quality of life and strong education system.
The day concluded with a guided tour of Madrid’s historic center, weaving through the Plaza Mayor, Plaza de la Villa, and the Royal Palace. The walk through the city’s past provided a thoughtful counterpoint to the day’s discussions on its forward-looking business culture.
Day 2
The focus shifted on the second day to marketing and consumer psychology. Professor Vladimir Melnyk, Marketing & Digital Media area, ESCP, introduced students to the topic, ‘Six Weapons of Marketing and Context Effects’ like reciprocity, commitment and consistency, authority, liking, scarcity, and social proof, showing how these principles influence consumer behavior and brand strategy. The session also unpacked ‘context effects,’ illustrating how consumer decisions can be swayed by the way choices are presented rather than by product attributes alone, along with other specific effects like Attraction Effect and the Compromise Effect, and their implications for product positioning and pricing.
These discussions came to life with a company visit to Entrol, a Spanish leader in the design and manufacture of certified flight simulators. With clients in over 40 countries, Entrol showcased how technical excellence, niche focus, and strong customer relationships define success in high-tech B2B markets.
The cohort visited Entrol, a global leader in flight simulators, gaining insights into high-tech entrepreneurship and customer-centric growth.
Day 3
Decision-making under uncertainty framed the third day. Professor Gustavo Garcia Mansilla, Marketing area, ESCP, explored the cognitive biases that shape managerial choices and emphasized the value of adopting a growth mindset in navigating business challenges.
This theme of adaptability and innovation was extended by guest lecturer Luis Dinis, Senior Market Strategy and Partnerships Manager at FEVER, who spoke about the impact of AI and related digital technologies in marketing and business. His session illustrated how AI, IoT, Big Data, and Blockchain are transforming industries, bringing the earlier theoretical discussions into the realm of applied business practice.
The day ended with a visit to the ‘Echoes of the Ocean’ exhibition at Espacio Fundación Telefónica an immersive and visually striking exhibition that offered a creative reflection on technology, sustainability, and the role of art in shaping our view of the future.
EPGP student with Professor Gustavo Garcia Mansilla, Marketing area, ESCP, after the session on the transformative role of AI and digital technologies in marketing and strategy.
Day 4
On the fourth day, Professors Javier Barbero, Business Intelligence area, ESCP, and Prof. Alberto León, Executive President and Dean ESCP Business School, led a session on ‘Growth Mindset 4.0 & AI for Future Leaders.’ Students examined the transition from fixed to growth-oriented thinking, especially in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the rapid rise of AI.
The session explored four key AI trends, like the proliferation of generative AI content across industries, the emergence of autonomous physical systems, the falling cost of digital products, and the disruption of traditional knowledge work. A workshop using the COSTAR framework gave students the chance to apply AI to global market analysis and cultural adaptation scenarios, turning theoretical lessons into practical skills.
The day also featured a guided tour of the Real Madrid Stadium and Trophy Museum, providing a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the world’s most iconic clubs blends its sporting heritage with modern business strategy.
A guided tour of the iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium offered participants a behind-the-scenes look at how Real Madrid combines sporting legacy with business strategy.
Day 5
The final day of the Madrid immersion was dedicated to leadership and strategic foresight. A session on ‘Leading High-Performance Cross-Functional Teams and The Future Thinking: Crafting Strategies with Emerging Technologies and Design Fiction’ by Dr. Vitor Lima, marketing area, ESCP. The session was facilitated by Prof. Diana Clarke, Management area, ESCP, and Alan McShane. Through an interactive exercise, students experienced how easily collaboration can falter without clarity of roles and leadership, while also discovering strategies to strengthen team performance.
The theme of forward-thinking leadership continued with a session on design fiction as a tool for strategy. Students explored how speculative scenarios and near-future prototypes can push organizations to anticipate consequences, embrace innovation, and plan for uncertainty in a fast-changing world. The session also focused on leading high-performance cross-functional teams to manage groups of individuals from different departments working towards a common goal.
Prof. Amar Sapra, Chairperson EPGP, presents a memento to Dr. Vitor Lima, marketing area, at ESCP Business School
Closing Reflections
Across five days, the Madrid immersion interwove Spain’s startup vitality, marketing psychology, decision-making science, and the transformative role of AI with the cultural richness of the Spanish capital. For EPGP participants, the experience provided both a grounding in Spain’s economic ecosystem and a forward-looking perspective on leadership in a world defined by technological disruption and global connectivity.
