Situated on the plain of the river Guadalquivir, Seville is the capital and nerve centre of Andalusia; the first city by GDP of the region of Andalusia, and the fourth most populated city in Spain. The Seville harbour, located about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the Atlantic Ocean, is the only river port in Spain.

Seville already plays an active role in digital transformation at a European level with one of the seven Research Institutes of the European Commission based in the city, the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS). As one of the institutes that make up the EC Directorate General Joint Research Centre (JRC), the aim of the IPTS is to promote and allow a better understanding of the relationships that exist between technology, economy and society.