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 Special? The main goal of the 9PDS is simple: give early-career and experienced researchers a collaborative space to polish their papers for top-tier academic journals. To keep things intimate and productive, participation is capped at just 20 selected proposals and papers. You won't find big crowds here--just focused, deep work. This year, participants came from across Europe and beyond. Over two days, presentations covered a wide range of topics using a process lens. Research discussions touched on everything from how ADHD symptoms connect with entrepreneurial bricolage, to how frontier-tech ecosystems operate in Africa, how AI affects founder well-being, and why social ventures fail, among others. ### A Focus on Gender and Entrepreneurship A big milestone this year was a dedicated emphasis on gender and entrepreneurship dynamics. Working with the CreaVES project--a Spanish Research Agency (AEI) initiative that looks at how social gender stereotypes and personal values shape business creation--the 9PDS held a special session on this important topic. ### Keynotes and Mentorship from Top Editors Beyond peer discussions, the real strength of the 9PDS is the feedback and mentorship from its panel of world-renowned journal editors. Each participant got written and oral feedback from at least two expert panelists, helping them make the structural changes needed for top-tier publication. The plenary sessions were packed with insights from leading scholars: - Profs. Ulla Hytti (University of Turku) and Miruna Radu-Lefebvre (Audencia Business School) kicked things off with a talk titled "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." - Prof. Susana C. Santos (Florida State University) gave a powerful, urgent talk with "Entrepreneurship amid war." The event wrapped up with an interactive round table on "Emerging topics and practices in entrepreneurship research," featuring Profs. Hytti, Liguori, Santos, and Stephan. It helped participants navigate the future of scholarly publishing. ### Celebrating Academic Excellence The closing ceremony highlighted the exceptional quality of work presented this year, sponsored 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 great boost for any researcher starting out. ### Key Takeaways Here's what made the 9PDS stand out this year: - **Intimate setting**: Only 20 participants, so everyone got personal attention. - **Diverse topics**: From ADHD and bricolage to AI and founder well-being. - **Gender focus**: A special session on gender and entrepreneurship. - **Expert mentorship**: Direct feedback from top journal editors. - **Best Paper Award**: Recognized outstanding work from a PhD student. If you're into entrepreneurship research, this is the kind of event that can really help you grow. It's not just about presenting papers--it's about building connections and getting the feedback you need to publish in top journals. And with the focus on gender dynamics and emerging topics, it's clear the field is moving in exciting directions.