PEIC Resilience Forum: connecting port challenges with real solutions

PEIC Resilience Forum: connecting port challenges with real solutions

On October 20, the Clock Building (Edificio del Reloj) at the Port of Valencia hosted the PEIC Resilience Forum, an exclusive gathering designed to move innovation from conversation to action: bringing those who have the challenges and those who have the solutions to the same table.

What was the PEIC Resilience Forum?

The PEIC Resilience Forum, organized by Opentop and powered by 300 Maritime, was a matchmaking and networking day focused on one of the sector's biggest challenges: the resilience and protection of port operations.

Resilience is one of the priority work areas defined by Valenciaport's Innovation Committee, and ports face it every day: cyber threats, extreme weather events, supply chain disruptions and the need to protect critical infrastructure.

The forum brought together 10 selected startups and representatives of the port and logistics community with a clear goal: to spark conversations that can turn into projects. One of this edition's new features was the selection process, which combined 300 Maritime's sector and methodological expertise with the more than 70 applications Opentop received through the PEIC open call.

How it worked: from first contact to one-to-one meetings

The day was structured in two parts:

• In the morning, startup presentations and a first round of introductions among all participants, to see which solutions were on the table and what needs each organization brought with it.
• In the afternoon, after lunch, one-to-one meetings between companies and startups, matched in advance according to specific interests and challenges.

The result: more than 65 meetings in a single afternoon, and conversations that are already taking their first steps.

Matchmaking: what Opentop does all year round

The PEIC Resilience Forum was a one-day event, but matchmaking isn't something we do just once a year. It is one of Opentop's core services: we connect companies from the port and logistics community with startups that can solve their challenges. And we do it with a method:

• We understand the challenge. We work with each company to pinpoint exactly what problem it wants to solve.
• We find the right solution. We scout the national and international ecosystem, drawing also on PIN (Port Innovators Network), which brings together 11 port innovation hubs worldwide.
• We filter and shortlist. We only present startups with a real fit, so no one wastes their time.
• We set up the meetings. We organize one-to-one meetings with clear context and objectives.
• We follow through. We follow up on each connection so it can grow into pilot projects and collaborations.

For companies, it's an agile way to access proven innovation without having to search for it alone. For startups, it's a gateway into a demanding sector, where meeting the right person makes all the difference.

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