9th Paper Development Seminar: Entrepreneurship Insights

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-07

This past May 28th and 29th, 2026, the University of Seville once again transformed into a vibrant hub for entrepreneurship scholarship. The Paper Development Seminar (PDS) on Entrepreneurship Process Research has become a standout event in the global academic calendar. Co-organized by the University of Seville and the Observatorio del Ecosistema Emprendedor de Andalucia (OEEA) — the group behind the GEM and GUESSS projects in the region — the 9PDS keeps pushing how we understand and study the entrepreneurial journey. ### What Makes the 9PDS Unique? The main goal of the 9PDS stays focused: giving early-career and established researchers a highly collaborative space to polish their papers for top-tier academic journals. To keep things intimate and productive, participation is strictly limited to a maximum of 20 selected proposals and papers. That small size means real conversations happen, not just presentations. This year, participants came to Seville from across Europe and beyond. Over the two-day seminar, topics covered a wide range of process-oriented research. Discussions touched on everything from ADHD symptoms and entrepreneurial bricolage to how frontier-tech ecosystems work in Africa, AI's impact on founder well-being, and failure paths in social ventures. ### A Special Focus on Gender and Entrepreneurship A big milestone for this edition was a dedicated emphasis on gender and entrepreneurship dynamics. Working with the CreaVES project — an initiative approved by the Spanish Research Agency (AEI) that looks at how social gender stereotypes and personal values affect firm creation and venture types — the 9PDS ran a special session on this relevant topic. It was a reminder that entrepreneurship isn't gender-neutral, and understanding those dynamics matters. ### Keynotes and Mentorship from World-Class Editors Beyond peer discussions, the defining feature of the 9PDS is the structured feedback and mentorship from its panel of internationally known journal editors. Participants got dedicated written and oral feedback from at least two expert panelists. That guidance helps them figure out what structural changes are needed for top-tier publication. Here's a quick look at the plenary sessions that delivered invaluable masterclasses: - **Profs. Ulla Hytti (University of Turku) and Miruna Radu-Lefebvre (Audencia Business School)** kicked things off with a thought-provoking talk: "How about men entrepreneurs? Gender, masculinities and entrepreneurship." - **Prof. Ute Stephan (King's College London)** shared an insider framework during her session, "How to publish in top management and entrepreneurship journals." She broke down what editors actually look for. - **Prof. Susana C. Santos (Florida State University)** gave a powerful, urgent perspective with her plenary speech, "Entrepreneurship amid war." It was a sobering look at how conflict shapes business creation. The academic programming ended with an interactive Round Table on "Emerging topics and practices in entrepreneurship research." It brought together the collective wisdom of Profs. Hytti, Liguori, Santos, and Stephan to help participants navigate the future of scholarly publishing. ### Celebrating Academic Excellence The closing ceremony highlighted the exceptional quality of work presented this year. It was sponsored generously by the European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ECSB) through their Event Fund initiative. The Best Paper Award went to PhD student Robert Hoyer from Leuphana University. He received a free one-year membership to the ECSB, which is a nice boost for his career. It's a reminder that events like this aren't just about sharing ideas — they're about building networks and opening doors. Overall, the 9PDS continues to be a vital space for entrepreneurship researchers. It's small, focused, and packed with value. If you're working on process-oriented entrepreneurship research, this is an event worth watching for future editions.