TIME 2021: Recap of our first week

It’s been one week since we left Tilburg to kick off our field research phase and TIME is really flying by. So let’s start with a nice recap of our first week in Madrid, Spain!

After we waved goodbye to our friends and family during the Goodbye Drink on October 28, it was finally time to fill our suitcases and get to the airport on October 30! We gathered at Eindhoven Airport where our journey officially started. As we arrived on Saturday evening, we still had some time to settle down and get to know the city. And of course, we did it the Dutch way: with a bike tour! Our Dutch guide showed us all the hotspots and best neighbourhoods around the city. Very quickly we discovered that Madrid is a very big but beautiful city, with great food and friendly people. The streets are clean with a safe atmosphere.

Our work week started on Monday, however, this was a national holiday. Despite that, we were able to spend our time efficiently. We welcomed the Dutch embassy of Spain in our hotel, who gave us great insights into the Spanish economy and business culture. Afterwards, our consultants were busy making appointments with companies in Madrid.

We have filled our week with many company visits, exhibitions at IFEMA (a big conference hall), or simply visiting showrooms, supermarkets, universities or workplaces. Instantly, we experienced how valuable it is to work in the field here. We obtain many insights by looking around, experiencing the culture, and creating a network on location. Besides, we have translators that help us with calls, company visits and sending emails, since most people in Spain are not very comfortable with the English language.

Besides all the work, we enjoy spending our evenings and weekends with some fun activities too! For example, we did a historical walking tour at night, watched Real Madrid win a Champions League game, and went for drinks at the beautiful Retiro Park. Furthermore, we love to try all the amazing food (and sangria) the city offers.

This week, we will spend another two days in Madrid. On Tuesday evening, we will take the train to Barcelona and continue our field research in Spain until Sunday!