The Mayor of Seville, José Luis Sanz, inaugurated at the Royal Artillery Factory the ESA Commercialisation Gateway Meeting, the most important international meeting of the European Space Agency (ESA) dedicated to technology transfer and business creation.

During his speech, Sanz highlighted “Seville’s industrial infrastructure, capable of competing in the most demanding markets of the knowledge economy.” He also emphasised “the strength of the aerospace engineering sector in Seville, which has grown by 73% in turnover over the last year,” citing companies such as Alter Technology as an example: “an essential supplier for ESA missions that develops cutting-edge engineering from Seville TechPark.”

The mayor also underlined Seville’s economic prominence, as it currently leads employment and business creation indicators in southern Spain. “Seville has stopped being a city that waits for opportunities and has become a city that generates them,” he said, stressing that “the local technological ecosystem is centred in Seville TechPark, which in the last fiscal year reached an economic activity of €5.513 billion, representing 9.7% of the city’s GDP and 2.36% of the regional GDP.”

Sanz detailed progress on the new Seville Aerospace District, “a metropolitan-scale project covering 10 million square metres. Of this area, 3.2 million square metres will be dedicated exclusively to productive uses, enabling the establishment of large industrial and R&D projects. This development is complemented by the creation of 24,000 homes, integrating economic and residential activity to offer an excellent environment for sector workers.”

He also explained that the new Higuerón Norte Technology District “will strengthen this network with a data centre of more than 100,000 square metres, ensuring the city’s digital sovereignty. Seville is today a safe city for investment, with 5G coverage above 99% and an administration that removes bureaucratic barriers for those who choose our city to grow, invest and create jobs,” the mayor concluded.

Finally, he recalled that “Seville was selected as the host city for this ESA event after a competitive process involving more than twenty European capitals, consolidating its position as the aerospace capital of Southern Europe.” Over three days, the city brings together leading institutional, scientific and business actors in the sector to turn space innovation into tangible economic growth.

Source: SER