The audit team assesses the quality and variety of services provided to digital nomads
Digital nomads drive the growth of cities thanks to their high purchasing power, their consumption capacity and their technical capabilities
Madrid, February 8, 2023- Malaga has become the first city in Spain to receive the AENOR Destination for Digital Nomads certification. The digital nomads, a group that has grown significantly in recent years, are people who use information technologies to work remotely.
Looking for ideal destinations to live for the climate, culture and quality of life, and at the same time have good technological infrastructure, connection with other cities, legal facilities and security - physical and health -, among other aspects. Digital nomads drive the growth of the destination they choose, due to their consumption capacity, knowledge and technical capabilities.
Malaga, whose 2030 Strategic Plan considers digital nomads as a challenge, has been the first territory to successfully pass the AENOR audit process to obtain certification as a Digital Nomad Destination. To grant this certificate, the AENOR audit team has assessed, among others
issues, the quality and variety of services provided to digital nomads, as evidenced by the evaluations they make themselves. This, together with the context of the city (communications, business and technological environment with the implementation of international technology companies, climate, friendliness of the inhabitants, etc.), positions Malaga as an attractive destination in many facets for different types of nomads.
AENOR's Destination for Digital Nomads certification requires a strategy, developed through a situation diagnosis, the implementation of actions (proactivity) and monitoring of results; a management methodology that ensures the implementation and operation of strategies and processes; as well as a set of indicators or value requirements for digital nomads, which allow knowledge of their situation and the taking of actions, in accordance with their competencies. Examples of indicators are the accommodation offer, communications infrastructure, coworking spaces, contact channels and networks, promotional actions, communication channels, etc.
The certification is valid for three years, during which follow-up audits are carried out to verify that the commitments are still valid.
In 2035, it is expected that at least 1.000 billion people in the world will work in population centers far from where their companies are located.
El Mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, has highlighted “the importance of this AENOR certification that accredits and underlines the qualities of Malaga to attract talent and investments and positions it as a pioneer in this type of initiatives that undoubtedly have a positive impact on the activity and economic fabric of the city. Málaga offers an innovative and sustainable ecosystem, which is based on the alliance between administrations and public-private collaboration, and which provides opportunities to both the people of Malaga, within our determined commitment to enhance and value local talent, and to professionals. foreigners.”
“Our purpose is based on creating trust between organizations and people, and the certificate that we delivered to Malaga today is an excellent example of this. Those who choose this wonderful city to work remotely from here can be confident that they will find everything they need there. Both public and private agents, who have been able to identify the needs and trends of the labor market, are committed to making this happen,” said Rafael García Meiro, CEO of AENOR.
In positioning Malaga as one of the main attractions for digital nomads, the collaboration and cooperation between different public and private agents who provide services to this community.
In this context, , through the Investor Office 'Málaga Open For Business' y Promálaga, they created the website in 2021 https://malagaworkbay.com/en/ Aimed at digital nomads. This website has the purpose of uniting all the relevant information that digital nomads need to choose and settle in Malaga, and to be able to work and/or undertake, such as accommodation, coworking, employment, etc.
Málaga's commitment in recent years to be a technology hub has materialized with the attraction of important high-tech centers such as Andalusia Cybersecurity Center; the Google center of excellence; the Vodafone Innovation Center; the future headquarters of Interuniversity Center for Microelectronics. And all this thanks to the excellent public-private collaboration that has created the ideal environment for attracting projects and investment.
AENOR opened an office in the city in 2019 and currently has 11 qualified professionals, mainly auditors. AENOR's commitment to Malaga is supported by data: a total of 1.895 work centers in Malaga have valid AENOR certificates, mainly in Quality Management 9001 (more than 600), Environmental Management ISO 14001 (more than 400), Information Security 27001 (More than 50), Health and Safety
in ISO 45001 Work and Carbon Footprint.
Among the clients, in certification or training, are reference organizations such as Malaga City Council, Provincial Council of Malaga, Malaga Film Festival, Grupo Sando, Metro de Malaga, Prolongo Faccsa, Famadesa, EMT Malaga, Marketing Consultores, Land of Nature, Málaga Aerospace, and Defense and Electronics Systems.
