PEIC 2026: the 4th edition of the Port Entrepreneurship International Congress

PEIC 2026: the 4th edition of the Port Entrepreneurship International Congress

PEIC 2026 brings together more than 650 attendees, 45% from abroad

The Port Entrepreneurship International Congress (PEIC) has closed its fourth edition with the best results in its history. More than 650 attendees from the leading port and maritime ecosystems of Europe, North America and Latin America gathered in Valencia for the most international edition yet of the international reference congress in port entrepreneurship and innovation, with 45% international participation.

Once again, PEIC turned Valencia into the meeting point for those who bring the sector’s challenges and those who build the solutions.

The whole ecosystem, in one place
One of PEIC’s strengths is the diversity of people it brings together. This year, 35% of attendees were startups and technology companies; 25% were innovation managers and executives, mainly from the port and logistics sector; 10% were investors; and 7% represented national and international ports and maritime authorities. Public institutions, economic development agencies, universities and research centres rounded out the audience.

The open call for a place on the PEIC stage received more than 70 applications, from which 20 startups from 12 countries were selected.

An opening with an eye on the future

The plenary session on 21 October, held on the Agora Stage of Valencia Digital Summit (City of Arts and Sciences), opened with an institutional welcome from Mar Chao, President of the Port Authority of Valencia, who took the opportunity to present the Valenciaport Sandbox.

Next, Antonio Torregrosa, General Director of Fundación Valenciaport, looked back on PEIC’s journey from its first edition to the reference event it is today. He also highlighted the importance of Pharos 39.0 as a platform for sharing knowledge and innovation: a space to keep exploring, well beyond the congress, the topics shaping the sector’s agenda.

On stage, the plenary session featured:

• Keynotes by André Simha and Mare Straetmans.
• Panel discussions on financing maritime innovation and on the Port Innovators Network (PIN).
• Innovation Lighthouse sessions, combining startup pitches with insights from industry experts on the blue economy, supply chain efficiency, security and resilience, and the energy transition.
• Live demos by 8 startups.

Three awards for port innovation

• PEIC Grand Prize: Angoka, chosen by an expert jury made up of Salvador Furió (Fundación Valenciaport), Sriram Giridhar (HPC Hamburg Port Consulting) and Jonas Van Hove (Kiwa). The trophy was presented by Aurelio Acedo, General Director of the Port Authority of Valencia.
• PIN Award: EonSea, granted by the Port Innovators Network, the global network of port innovation hubs. The trophy was presented by Salvador Furió, Director of Innovation and Cluster Development at Fundación Valenciaport.
• Audience Award: Mediterranean Algae, voted for by attendees. Presented by Juan Manuel Díez, Head of Innovation at the Port Authority of Valencia.

Congratulations to all three!

Thank you, and on to PEIC 2027

None of this would be possible without the partners who walk alongside us: KIWA (Strategic Partner), Boluda Corporación Marítima, the Port of San Diego, Marina Port Valencia and PHAROS 39.0 together with the Valencia Digital Summit team, and with the support of Fundación Valenciaport and the Port Authority of Valencia.

And above all, thank you to the startups, speakers, investors and companies who made PEIC 2026 a space for real connections. The Opentop team is already working on the next edition, and we can’t wait to see you there.

Opentop: ports OPEN to TOP startups.

PEIC 2026 Photo Gallery: Browse and download your photos here!