9th Paper Development Seminar: Inside Entrepreneurship Research

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-07

The University of Seville turned into a buzzing hub for entrepreneurship scholars on May 28 and 29, 2026. The 9th Paper Development Seminar (9PDS) has become a major event in the global academic calendar. It's 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. This seminar keeps pushing how we understand the entrepreneurial journey. ### What Makes 9PDS Unique? The main goal of 9PDS is simple: give early-career and established researchers a highly collaborative space to sharpen their work for top-tier journals. To keep things intimate and productive, participation is capped at just 20 selected proposals and papers. That's it. No big crowds. Just focused, deep work. This year, attendees came from all over Europe and beyond. Over two days, presentations covered a wide range of topics using a process lens. Discussions touched on everything from ADHD symptoms and entrepreneurial bricolage, to how frontier-tech ecosystems work in Africa, how AI affects founder well-being, and why social ventures fail. ### A Special Focus on Gender and Entrepreneurship A big milestone this year was the dedicated emphasis on gender and entrepreneurship dynamics. In partnership with the CreaVES project — approved by the Spanish Research Agency (AEI) — the seminar analyzed how social gender stereotypes and personal values influence firm creation. The 9PDS hosted a special session on this topic that sparked great conversations. ### Keynotes and Mentorship from World-Class Editors Beyond peer discussions, the real gem of 9PDS is the structured feedback and mentorship from a panel of world-renowned journal editors. Each participant got written and oral feedback from at least two expert panelists. They guided them on what structural changes are needed for top-tier publication. It's like having a personal coach for your academic paper. The plenary sessions delivered incredible masterclasses from some of the field's leading scholars: - 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." - Prof. Susana C. Santos (Florida State University) gave a powerful, urgent perspective with her plenary speech, "Entrepreneurship amid war." The academic programming ended with an interactive Round Table on "Emerging topics and practices in entrepreneurship research." Profs. Hytti, Liguori, Santos, and Stephan came together to help participants navigate the future of scholarly publishing. > "The feedback I got from the editors was worth the trip alone. It changed how I approach my paper." — An anonymous participant ### 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 the ECSB 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. ### Why 9PDS Matters for US Scholars For US-based researchers, this seminar offers a unique chance to connect with European scholars and top editors. The small size means you get real, actionable feedback. You'll leave with a stronger paper and new collaborators. If you study entrepreneurship, this is one event you don't want to miss. The 9PDS proves that great research happens when you mix intense focus with genuine mentorship. It's not just about publishing — it's about growing as a scholar.