Juan Manuel Matés-Barco is Professor of Economic History and Business History at the University of Jaén. Graduate of the University of Zaragoza. Doctor from the University of Granada. Research stays in prestigious universities in Italy, France, and Portugal. Four six-year research periods recognised by the National Commission for the Evaluation of Research Activity (CNEAI. Ministry of Universities. Spain). Director of the journal Agua y Territorio/Water and Landscape (AYT/WAL). Researcher at the Permanent Seminar on Water, Territory, and the Environment: Public Policies and Citizen Participation. Coordinator of several research projects. Head Researcher of the Group of Historical Studies on the Company (GEHESE-UJA).

María Vázquez-Fariñas is Lecturer in History and Economic Institutions Area (Department of Economic Theory and History) at the University of Málaga (Spain). PhD in Social and Legal Sciences and Degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Cádiz. Actively involved as a component of the Research Group of Historical Studies on the Enterprise (GEHESE-UJA) and part of the Editorial Board of the journal Agua y Territorio/Water and Landscape (AYT/WAL). General lines of research focus on the economic and business history of 19th-century Cádiz (Andalusia, Spain) and the development of public services in contemporary Spain. Author of many works on these subjects published in national and international journals and publishing houses.