El PCT Cartuja stands as one of the major economic hubs in the province of Seville and across Andalusia. In fact, it accounts for 2.36% of Andalusia’s total activity and nearly 10% within the province. This Monday, the science and technology park released results that continue to trend upward: revenue reached 4.85 billion euros in 2023, up 8% from the previous year, while both the number of companies and employment kept rising to 567 firms and 29,538 workers, respectively.
Perspective since 2019
The growth has been more modest than in the prior year, when turnover rose by 30%. Over the five-year span, the increase stands at 67.12%, rising from 2.902 billion euros in 2019 to 4.85 billion in 2023.
In this period, even with the pandemic in between, employment in the park grew by more than 30%, adding nearly 7,000 jobs in five years. As for the number of companies, it moved from 523 to 567, a 5.23% rise.
Present at the results presentation were the mayor of Seville, José Luis Sanz, and the Minister of University, Research and Innovation and president of PCT Cartuja, José Carlos Gómez Villamandos, who outlined the data. They were joined by the park’s general manager, Luis Pérez. The minister highlighted a strong confidence in Andalusia, underscored by foreign investment arriving at the park, rising from 17 to 38 companies in a single year.
‘Sevilla’ in the park’s name
It was also disclosed that there is consideration of including the name Sevilla in the park’s title, noting that this could help attract foreign funding and international partners.
The leaders stressed that PCT Cartuja is the leading Spanish park among science and technology parks and is deeply intertwined with the city. The goal is to foster growth more as a district than as a standalone park.
In total, Gómez Villamandos recalled that there are nine parks in Andalusia, with PCT Cartuja at the forefront. The regional government is weighing the creation of a unified brand for the Andalusian parks, reinforcing that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Sanz thanked the regional government, particularly the Ministry of Economy, Finance and European Funds, for freeing the Expo channel, a move that will enable continued expansion of the park.
Rising investment in R&D
One of the standout figures for 2023 is the surge in R&D investment carried out by the companies and research centers installed at PCT Cartuja. The investment jumped 109%, moving from 225 million euros to 460 million in just one year.
Overall, 7,329 people are dedicated to R&D and related activities within PCT Cartuja, there are 301 research groups, and 15 new patents were filed along with 1,000 new R&D projects kicked off.
Profile of the park’s companies
Gómez Villamandos described a representative profile of the typical tenant within the park. Most are technology or research-focused, with an average of 52 employees per company. About 21% of the entities headquartered there are large firms, and 35% are microenterprises. The workforce skews older, with 53% aged between 30 and 50, while 15% are under 30. High qualifications stand out: 60% hold university degrees, and 8% are doctors.
Further breakdown by sector shows three main areas within the park: advanced technologies, advanced services, and general services. The advanced technologies sector is the strongest, housing 51% of the entities (about 290) and accounting for 59% of the park’s economic activity, which reached 2.856 billion euros. The entities in advanced technologies, including both companies and research centers, supported direct employment for 17,979 people in 2023, representing 61% of the park’s total employment.