Ports 4.0

The programme

The main objective of the Fund is to promote innovation as an element of competitiveness, efficiency, sustainability, safety and security in the Spanish port logistics sector, both public and private, to facilitate their transition to the 4.0 economy.

Ports 4.0 will encourage the creation or consolidation of emerging companies (start-ups), spin-off or new lines of business in the technological field in existing companies that develop innovative products, services or processes for the port logistics sector with a market orientation.

Who is it for?

The Tradetech Fund of Spanish Ports, Ports 4.0, is aimed at all those entrepreneurs and national and international companies with innovative ideas or projects capable of improving the efficiency, competitiveness and sustainability of the port-logistics sector and, in general, of commerce, and with the capacity for development and growth in the market through business projects, including intrapreneurship in the field of the Port Authorities and State Ports.

The Fund is aimed at funding any phase of the innovation process (ideation, validation, acceleration, prototyping and growth). It is not only associated with clearly disruptive new technologies, but also with the development of new, more efficient processes and business models based on the verticals of the 4.0 economy.

In what modalities can you participate?

• Idea
  An idea is the set of actions necessary to achieve an innovative product, service or process that is in a incipient phase of technological development, associated with a technological maturity level 1 or 2, and whose result must be a proof of concept applicable to one or more agents of the port-logistics community. 
   
• Pre-commercial projects
  Projects will be mature enough to be classified in the pre-commercial phase when, having positively tested the proof of concept, the product, service or process is found It is at a level 3, 4, 5 and 6, and can be validated in a port-logistics environment.
   
• Commercial projects
  Projects will be mature enough to be classified in the commercial phase when they are at a development level equal to or greater than 7.

Which ideas or projects are likely to be selected?

The ideas or projects likely to be chosen must develop a new product, service or process, or improve an existing technology with innovative component and develop its application to port logistics sector.

The ideas or projects likely to be chosen must promote the achievement of measurable progress solutions in one or more of the following areas of port logistics:

• Logistics efficiency in the infrastructural, operational or service provision field.
• Environmental sustainability and energy.
• Safety and protection.
• Digitalisation of processes and intelligent platforms. 
• Other innovative processes or products with an impact on the port or logistics sector.