Megatrends 2026: From Product to Experience

Reflections from the IE-BM Think Tank at Roca Madrid Gallery

Denis Agnelli Bento and Julia Corrius attended the IE-BM Think Tank #24 – Megatendencias 2026, hosted at the Roca Madrid Gallery in Madrid.

The session brought together leaders from architecture, technology, real estate, and academia to discuss a central question: what is truly changing in the built environment, and how should cities and real estate adapt?

The discussion featured insights from:

• Ángela Baldellou, Directora-Gerente at COAM and Architect behind Impulsora Madrid 2050

• Alfredo Carrión García, Associate Partner for AI, Data & Emerging Technologies at KPMG España

• Susana Rodríguez, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Living at Savills

• Cristina Mateo, Vice Dean at IE School of Architecture & Design

• Jorge Ponce Dawson, Practice Principal and Global Head of Retail at Broadway Malyan

Together, they explored emerging shifts shaping cities and real estate through three key perspectives: technology, society, and capital.

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From Product to Experience

A recurring theme throughout the session was the transformation of real estate from a product-centric industry to an experience-driven ecosystem.

Today, spaces are no longer valued only for their physical attributes or location. Increasingly, their value lies in how people experience them: how they feel, interact, work, learn, and live within them.

This shift is reshaping the priorities of architects, developers, and investors alike. According to recent research cited during the session, more than 70% of consumers now prioritize experience over price, pushing the real estate sector to rethink how spaces are conceived and delivered.

Technology: From Innovation to Value Creation

Technology, particularly AI and advanced data analytics, is rapidly transforming how the built environment is designed and managed.

However, as Alfredo Carrión from KPMG highlighted, the real challenge is not simply adopting new technologies but capturing real value from them.

Organizations must move beyond experimentation and ask deeper questions:

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What strategy exists around AI and data?

Which technologies truly generate value?

How can qualitative experiences be measured alongside quantitative metrics?

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Increasingly, the integration of user sentiment analysis, behavioral data, and customer lifetime value is helping organizations understand the intangible dimensions that shape how people experience spaces.

Society: Designing for Changing Lifestyles

Social change is another major driver of transformation.

Today’s cities must respond to evolving lifestyles shaped by aging populations, remote work, and shifting expectations of urban life. In Spain, approximately 15% of workers nationally and up to 25% in Madrid now work remotely, fundamentally altering how people interact with offices, neighborhoods, and public spaces.

As Ángela Baldellou from COAM emphasized, architecture must respond not only to functional requirements but also to social realities and human experience.

Spaces must become more flexible, adaptable, and responsive to the people who use them. Cities are built to last for decades, yet societies evolve much faster, raising a critical challenge: how can built environments remain relevant as lifestyles change?

Capital: Where Investment Is Moving

From an investment perspective, structural shifts are also reshaping the real estate landscape.

Susana Rodríguez from Savills highlighted a significant rotation of capital away from traditional asset classes such as shopping centers and conventional office spaces toward more flexible and resilient models, including:

• Residential and flex-living

• Data centers

• Student housing

These asset classes share several characteristics: strong structural demand, limited supply, and resilience to economic cycles.

At the same time, investors increasingly recognize that the intangible value of experience can significantly influence performance metrics such as occupancy rates, commercialization speed, and customer loyalty.

Measuring the Intangible Value of Cities

One of the most compelling discussions focused on the intangible qualities that make cities attractive.

Why do certain cities attract talent, investment, and tourism? What elements of urban experience, sunlight, public space, walkability, social interaction — create long-term value?

As technology and data capabilities evolve, new analytical tools are enabling organizations to measure aspects of experience that were previously considered impossible to quantify.

Understanding and investing in these intangible dimensions may become a critical competitive advantage for cities and developers alike.

Looking Ahead

The Think Tank concluded with a shared reflection: predicting the future with precision is impossible, but understanding the forces already shaping change is essential.

Across technology, society, and capital, one theme was clear: flexibility will define the next generation of cities and spaces.

Organizations that can combine data, human-centered design, and adaptive strategies will be best positioned to create environments that remain relevant, not only today, but for decades to come.

For Mormedi, conversations like these reinforce the importance of designing systems, services, and spaces that are both technologically advanced and deeply human-centered.

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