Seville bids for status as Spain’s new ‘metropolis of the south’

Seville City One, one of the most ambitious public/private partnerships ever created in Spain, was launched yesterday as the capital of the Andalusia region aims to become the “metropolis of the south”.

The project was started by dozens of private companies and the city and regional authorities were quick to come on board. 

“Seville used to be all about tourism, agribusines and real estate but now the economy is highly diversified,” said Jose’ Ignacio Fernandez de Jodar, spokesperson for Seville City One and Andalusia director of Aedas Homes.

The expansion of Seville’s economy has been helped by infrastructure projects and good transport connections. The city has the only river port in Spain with an intermodal exchange and is becoming a logistics and industrial hub.

Cartuja, created on the site of the 1992 Expo, is the largest science and technology park in Spain, with hundreds of companies focused on innovation.

The nearby Aeropolis is the only science and technology park in Europe dedicated entirely to the aerospace industry, and 60% of managers working there are foreign. 

Real estate companies are anticipating increased demand and are preparing for growth. Aedas and others are focusing on BTR to provide homes for mobile professionals and ‘digital nomads’ moving to Seville for work opportunities and the quality of life of an historic Mediterranean city.

Growth is expected in the office sector too, as more companies move to the area. “We are building new offices because our occupancy rate is 90% and demand is high,” said Zacharias Zulategui Represa, Andalusia director, Grupo Insur. “We are also refurbishing older assets to make them ESG-compliant.”

Sustainability is key to the City One project. Seville is committed to being one of the EU’s 100 cities that will be net zero by 2030 and measures are in place to make that an achievable goal. 

“The biggest change that has enabled Seville City One to become reality is a new mentality and openness to the world,” said Zulategui Represa. “This city has a great past, now it is determined to have a great future.”