María Mar Cebrián Villar

María Mar Cebrián Villar is a Full Professor in the Department of Economics and Economic History at the University of Salamanca, where she also holds a position at the University Institute for Science and Technology Studies (INST). Her academic career spans several decades of research and teaching in economic history, with a particular focus on Spanish economic development during the mid-20th century.

Her educational background includes:

• Degree in Economics from the University of Salamanca
• PhD from the European University Institute in Florence

Dr. Cebrián Villar's research interests center on economic history, particularly the analysis of Spanish economic growth from 1959-1973, with emphasis on technology transfer's role in this growth. Her work spans business history (including studies of Nestlé and FASA-Renault), patents, pharmaceutical and automotive industries, migration patterns, intellectual property rights, and the importance of learning by doing in adopting foreign technologies. She has developed innovative teaching methods in economic history, incorporating digital tools like wikis and academic posters to enhance student engagement and learning.

Her scholarly output reveals a consistent focus on Spanish economic development, technology transfer, and industrial history. A significant portion of her work examines the "Spanish miracle" period of rapid economic growth, analyzing the sources of this growth and the role of technology adoption. More recently, her research has expanded to include pharmaceutical patent systems and the intersection of technology and democracy.

Dr. Cebrián Villar has secured substantial research funding throughout her career:

• One Integrated Action
• Six projects from the Ministry of Education and Science/Innovation/Science and Competitiveness
• One project from the University of Salamanca
• Two projects from the Regional Government of Castile and León

She is currently part of a research group of excellence recognized by the Regional Government of Castile and León, working within the Unit for the Study of the History of Industry and Science and Technology Systems (HISCYT). Her international collaborations include research and training stays at prestigious institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania, the Center for Demographic Studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris, and the University of Sussex in Brighton.