Yesterday, the Official College of Architects of Madrid (COAM) hosted the presentation of the “Seville, your province to invest in Southern Europe” project, an initiative promoted by the Provincial Council of Seville through Prodetur and the Sevilla City One association, Metropolis of Southern Europe.
The meeting brought together leading representatives from business, institutions and academia to showcase Seville and its province as a prime destination for national and international investment.
Ángela Baldellou, the managing director of the host organisation and a COAM collaborator, gave the welcome address at an opening ceremony attended by Prodetur vice president Rodrigo Rodríguez Hans, Sevilla City One president Pedro Salvador, and Nuria Canivell, the dean of the College of Architects of Seville and a member of the Andalusian Council of Official Colleges of Architects.
Ms Baldellou pointed out that ‘only by creating high-quality cities will we be able to attract and retain the investment we all want for our communities. Only by investing in quality environments and architecture will these cities become desirable places to live”. She added, ‘I think it is extremely important that economists, lawyers, administrators, corporations and industries work together to discuss strategies and city models. I believe that only by working together and involving citizens will we be able to create city models that can adapt to the increasingly demanding needs of society with regard to health, comfort and habitability”.
The vice-president of Prodetur presented the province’s economic situation: it has the strongest economy in Andalusia, representing 25% of the regional GDP and ranking as the fourth largest economy in Spain. Seville, together with the provinces of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Alicante, accounts for 45% of national GDP. Furthermore, Seville’s provincial GDP has grown by almost 14 percentage points over the past decade and by over seven percentage points in the last five years.
“Seville is not a promise. Seville is already the best place to invest in southern Europe,’ said Rodrigo Rodríguez Hans, who emphasised Seville’s potential for entrepreneurship and business collaboration. He also highlighted the ‘vitality’ of the province’s productive fabric, which he described as ‘of the highest calibre, committed to its surroundings and the environment, and setting an example in terms of innovation, digitisation and resilience’. After discussing the territory’s key sectors, including aeronautics, defence, automotive, engineering, renewable energies, agri-food, and start-ups, he emphasised the importance of public-private collaboration, involving all social stakeholders.
“With Sevilla City One, we are building a vibrant and sustainable metropolis that aspires to be a global benchmark,” said Pedro Salvador Albiñana, president of the association. ‘Our objective is clear: to attract investment, foster cooperation between social and economic agents, and transform Seville and its metropolitan area into a model of urban innovation. The EU’s designation of Seville as a climate-neutral city by 2030 puts us at a pivotal moment full of opportunities.’ ‘This project is an invitation to invest in a forward-thinking, strategic and committed territory’, he added.
For her part, Nuria Canivell reaffirmed the Official College of Architects of Seville’s commitment to any initiative that improves the urban social environment. “Today is a new opportunity to reflect on, update and plan the city we want. It is time to confront the necessary changes boldly. Architects can and must play a clear role. We offer our knowledge of the territory and all its markets. We have experience working in multidisciplinary teams, and above all we have an integrating vision that allows us to promote growth which respects Seville’s DNA while evolving with intelligence and sensitivity.
A central moment of the event was the screening of the official video presentation of ‘Seville, your province for investment in Southern Europe’, followed by the presentation of a report analysing the investment attractiveness of Seville in sectors such as real estate, logistics, tourism and technology, prepared by professors Ángel Francisco Villarejo Ramos and Carlos Rodríguez Rad from the University of Seville.
The subsequent roundtable discussion, moderated by Paloma Angulo Pozuelo, manager of Sevilla City One, brought together leading business figures, including Jorge Pérez de Leza, CEO of Metrovacesa, and Isabel Aguilera, architect and consultant to large companies, to debate the opportunities, challenges and prospects that Seville offers as a strategic location for new economic developments.
Aguilera stressed the importance of making strategic plans for 15 to 20 years and maintaining commitment to them. She also stressed that Seville has more than demonstrated its talent and charm, and that it has all the necessary ingredients. However, we must choose two or three areas and generate a strategic plan that includes a general urban development plan. We must all work together to achieve these three things in the long term. This should be done not only in Seville, but also in its metropolitan area.’
Jorge Pérez de Leza highlighted that he has seen an improvement in Seville in recent years, with an increase in demand in the residential sector and new talent and young people emerging. Seville and its metropolitan area also have well-functioning infrastructure. Furthermore, in the financial sphere, Seville’s capital has attracted greater attention from abroad.’ In terms of improvement advice, he stressed that clear, long-term rules need to be established in real estate and that the sector needs to become more flexible.
