Innovative ecosystem

Agreements and alliances with the innovative environment

Ports play with the initial advantage of having a consolidated port community as an ecosystem. The Port of Barcelona is also located in a benchmark city in many aspects, but particularly as a European technological capital and centre for the creation of start-ups. 

This supposes a competitive attribute that must be squeezed to the maximum through the search for strategic alliances with agents in their environment, many of whom have been dealing with innovation for years.

Acció, Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Activa , Tech Barcelona, Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona, Mobile World Capital or Fira de Barcelona are some of the examples of agents with whom we are already working in order to achieve open and sustainable innovation through of winning synergies.

And it is impossible to talk about open innovation without seeking the collaboration of universities, research centres, and research and business schools; an area in which the Catalan capital also enjoys great prestige with, among others, 2 of the main business schools worldwide (IESE and ESADE), renowned universities (UPC, UPF, UB, UAB, UOC,…) and leading research centres linked to logistics and the marine environment (CENIT-CIMNE, ICM,...).

And the creation of talent is key in the innovation strategy. In the port field, it is necessary  to adapt the existing training offer in order to respond to the real needs of the sector and even promote new qualifications and specific first-level training programmes. 

Existing training centres in the port area (Facultat de Náutica de Barcelona, European School-Intermodal Transport, Barcelona Nautical Institute) have recently been joined by the Barcelona Logistics Institute and the ICIL; likewise, the world organisation for investment and business in the blue economy, World Ocean Council, will attract congresses and activities in the sector to Barcelona.

Blue District: Innovation by Port de Barcelona

Given the innovation potential of the city of Barcelona, the Port of Barcelona wants to take advantage of the existing innovation hubs created by the urban ecosystem, such as Pier01 and Pier03 of Tech Barcelona, the Incubator 3D and D Factory, managed by the Conscorci de la Zona Franca, etc.

Thus, to take advantage of synergies, innovation spaces will be developed in a network, in collaboration with existing centres, either in the port itself or in areas surrounding the city. Together, these spaces are not only intended to enable the attraction of talent, the creation of new jobs, the promotion of entrepreneurship and the creation of new technology-based companies in the maritime, logistics and nautical sectors, but also to attract key research centres and areas of innovation led by companies and corporations.