We are pleased to launch our "Meet the Ecosystem" section with an interview with Juan Manuel Díez, Head of Innovation at the Valencia Port Authority.
The port business is changing rapidly. An industry that has historically enjoyed considerable stability is becoming increasingly volatile, with external factors causing greater disruptions.
Port challenges are evolving, and new issues such as the role of ports in the global energy transition or the need for resilience in logistics chains require new approaches to an already complex system. Innovation is the only recipe for that adaptation and for ensuring that ports remain competitive and can fulfill their mission of supporting the economy and society.
It's not that ports weren't traditionally intelligent, but it's true that the complexity of the environment does require us to learn new skills if we want to face the risks with guarantees.
A smart port would be one that is capable of identifying these risks and adopting systematic solutions, leveraging the best available technologies that allow them to advance solutions and secure their future. A smart port is, ultimately: a port that innovates and learns.
Results. As I mentioned, the sector operates under high efficiency pressures in a complex environment, so it's important that new technologies provide solutions that are quickly testable and incorporated into the business.
To achieve this, technological capability must be backed by a genuine willingness to understand the port world and what drives adoption
There are entrepreneurs with very powerful technological solutions, but who are unable to address the specific "pain" of the sector. I insist, time must be dedicated to empathizing with port managers, understanding the complexities of the system, and seeking the best technological adaptation that, within a reasonable timeframe, produces results.
At Valenciaport, we are aware of this need to bring both worlds together and, from the APV, we try to facilitate tools to make things happen.
From promoting the participation in the Ports 4.0 Fund, which allows startups to access funding and, more importantly, a framework for collaboration with companies in the sector to co-create; initiatives like OPENTOP, managed by Fundación Valenciaport, which connects technology providers with port businesses.
We also foster foundational tech research through our partnerships with universities (UPV and UV), while supporting initiatives like the Valenciaport Hackathon, celebrating its 6th edition this year and established as the benchmark in the port-logistics sector.
Equally important, we provide entrepreneurs with access to the infrastructure they need to test new technologies. We want the ports managed by the APV (Valencia, Sagunto, and Gandía) to become the reference port sandboxes in southern Europe.
It's not an easy question and the answer wouldn't be simple.
There is a set of factors such as the sector's own structure, with constant tension from almost daily adaptation, or the complexity of actors that converge in many port processes, which complicates the identification of challenges and the search for optimal solutions. Again, the recipe to face them is empathy and knowledge.
Results again. We must be able to implement and measure results. And find solutions whose adoption fits with existing ones. Ports work on 24/7 horizons and cannot stop. No one is going to risk adopting solutions that put business resilience at risk. If the port stops, the economy stops.
I especially like this question. I always tell them the same thing, that I have good news and bad news. The good news is that they're entering a fascinating sector where there are many problems to address, and where they'll find great professionals with a strong innovative spirit. And the bad news is that, once they've tasted the salt of the port, they won't want to shake it off.
COOPETITION is a word that blends cooperation and competition.