In recent years, Seville has become one of the most important aerospace centers in Europe. The aeronautical industry has an enormous weight in the city, not only as a leading economic engine, but also as the precursor of a story of success and innovative capacity that Seville wants to lead in this and other fields and share with the world.
Several factors have made this positioning possible. Of course, the real fact of a consolidated industry that plays a leading role in the international scenario of the sector, but also a series of initiatives and favorable conditions that contribute to promoting this vision of Seville and to focusing on new challenges and opportunities: from policies for attracting investment to the development of strategies that place Seville at the centre of aeronautical innovation; from the redefinition of Fibes as a space for reflection on strategic events, to the construction of a solid story that expands the concept of the city as a destination. The idea of Seville as a place conducive to the exchange and development of projects, both vital and professional, is gaining strength in recent times.
Seville has the only science and technology park in Europe dedicated entirely to the aerospace industry: Aerópolis, an industrial complex that brings together some 90 companies in the sector. For two decades, work has been carried out here on advanced developments in the aeronautical industry, with an outstanding focus of attention: the Airbus A400M. The development of this aircraft has given rise to a Made in Seville industry that is now recognised worldwide. Aircraft manufacturing in Seville also includes the C-295 and CN-235 light transport and cargo models and new developments in the drone and high-tech satellite industry for activities related to security and video surveillance, environmental protection, the fight against climate change, mapping, precision agriculture and infrastructure inspection, among others.
The city does not forget this industrial and technological achievement. The aerospace theme is a central theme around which important events have been taking place, confirming Seville as a pole of attraction for the entire sector.
In 2019, Seville was the European Space Capital and held the presidency of the Community of Ariane Cities. That year, the Seville Space Forum was held with the aim of making the local and Andalusian industry visible to the main agents in the space sector at European level, and Fibes hosted the inter-ministerial council of the European Space Agency (ESA), where Spain announced a 25% increase in its contribution to the ESA, making it the fourth largest contributor to the agency.
For two years Fibes has been holding the Space & Industrial Economy 5.0 Seville Virtual Summit, a meeting aimed at projecting the new Spanish technology industry internationally, and in it the aerospace sector, with its epicenter in Seville and Cadiz, has a very important presence. In fact, companies from both provinces represent 92% of Andalusian companies in the aerospace sector. This sector has an annual turnover in Andalusia of more than 2,400 million euros and generates 14,500 jobs.
At the same time, commercial airlines have set their sights on Seville as an aeronautical pole of reference. In this regard, it is worth highlighting the growing commitment of the world’s main airlines to establish direct connections with Seville, and also the installation of technical operations centers, as is the case of the two aircraft maintenance hangars installed by Ryanair at Seville airport, which has generated 500 jobs. Seville has also hosted important events in the sector, such as the Aerospace & Defence Meetings-ADM, the largest annual business congress in the sector held in Spain, the Center for Asia-Pacific Aviation (CAPA) summit and World Space Week, which is held every year in the city.
In 2018, the Seville City Space Forum (in Spanish, Seville City Space Forum) was created, a body that has promoted initiatives, meetings and events that year after year drive the existing ecosystem in the city and project its growth into the future.
Activity in this regard is constant and the agenda of new events specializing in the aerospace world is constantly growing. The working group set up within the Forum by Seville City Office and Fibes together with the University of Seville and the Clúster Andalucía Aerospace (which brings together fifty companies) is responsible for this. In 2022, we find new events and milestones relevant to this momentum, such as the Meeting of the Space Ecosystem in Andalusia, the ‘Aerospace & Defence Meeting’, the UNVEX (Unmanned Vehicle Exhibition) or the World Space Week, which is held every year in the city.
Fibes has become a laboratory of ideas and reflection with international projection. A think tank where to analyze, debate and anticipate the future challenges facing the world in various areas. Fibes has placed itself at the center of the debate on economic recovery and is projecting Seville as a benchmark in new industry and other sectors. Aerospace research and development is a key part of this strategy.
In addition, Seville aspires to be the headquarters of the new Business Incubator Center of the European Space Agency (ESA), a center that will promote the creation of innovative specialized companies, as well as the exchange of knowledge and space technologies.
All of this consolidates the space sector in Seville. The latest report of the Andalusian Knowledge Agency “Map of the Space Sector in Andalusia 2020” (“Mapa del Sector Espacio en Andalucía 2020”) indicates that, of the 152 companies and entities related to the sector in our community, Seville has 62, which represents 42% of the total sector in Andalusia.
