Post by Journal of Evolutionary Studies in Business (JESB)

JESB Research Early Views (May 2026) What do you do with a world's fair after the lights go out? In 1992, Seville hosted a Universal Exposition that drew 42 million visitors and transformed the city's infrastructure overnight. One year later, the empty pavilions became the starting point for one of Europe's most remarkable science and technology parks. Thirty years on, it generates €5.51 billion in turnover and over 31,000 direct jobs. Pablo Algarrada Vera traces the full institutional and economic trajectory of PCT Cartuja (now Sevilla TechPark) through an Evolutionary Economic Geography lens, answering: Under what institutional and governance conditions can a mega-event's infrastructure be transformed into a thriving innovation ecosystem? How did a top-down, state-led enclave become a resilient, endogenous hub driven by local firms, universities, and public-private collaboration? This paper: * Combines over 120 sessions from the Andalusian Parliament's Official Journal of Proceedings (1985-2025), PCT Cartuja annual reports (1993-2025), Círculo de Empresarios records (2005-2016), and a press analysis of 217 articles from national and regional newspapers. * Identifies four evolutionary phases: foundation (1993-1996), consolidation (1997-2008), resilience (2009-2015), and reinvention (2016-2025). * Shows a transition from exogenous, MNE-focused strategy toward an endogenous ecosystem anchored in local SMEs, university spin-offs, and mission-oriented sustainability policies. * Concludes that the park's success rests on a hybrid governance model combining sustained public leadership, strong academic anchoring through the University of Seville, and the proactive role of an organized private sector; embodied in the Círculo de Empresarios and flagship projects like #eCitySevilla. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/emdTXqYZ