- The 2025 International Port Entrepreneurship Congress kicks off in Valencia with a firm commitment to innovation and collaboration as the pillars of a more competitive, sustainable and resilient port.
- The Port Authority and the Valenciaport Foundation promote international networks and joint work with start-ups to accelerate open innovation and strengthen the competitiveness of the sector.
Valencia, October 22nd, 2025. The 2025 International Port Entrepreneurship Conference (PEIC’25) kicked off this morning in Valencia with a clear commitment to open innovation and international collaboration as drivers of transformation in the port sector.
The president of the Port Authority of Valencia (APV) Mar Chao, and the director general of the Valenciaport Foundation (FV), Antonio Torregrosa, opened the meeting, which brings together representatives from ports, start-ups, logistics corporations and investors from around the world.
In this edition, the organisation opted for an innovative opening format: a dialogue between Chao and Torregrosa instead of the traditional opening speeches. The conversation, entitled “Where dialogue meets Port Innovation”, symbolised the spirit of cooperation, openness and creativity that defines both the conference and Valenciaport’s innovation strategy.
Innovation as a strategic focus
During the conversation, Mar Chao emphasised that innovation is the central focus of the Port of Valencia’s new Strategic Plan, a roadmap that promotes competitiveness and long-term sustainability. “Our commitment,” she said, “is to move towards a more competitive, sustainable, safe and resilient port, working hand in hand with the entire port community of Valencia, Sagunto and Gandía, and with the international innovation ecosystem.”
Chao explained that the APV Strategic Plan is based on two key action lines: active participation in European and national R&D programmes, and the consolidation of Opentop, the open innovation hub promoted by the Valenciaport Foundation. “Opentop allows us to attract talent, collaborate with start-ups and scale up technological solutions that add value to the entire logistics and port ecosystem,” she added.
Torregrosa agreed that innovation has been part of Valenciaport’s DNA for decades, “but innovation,” she stressed, “cannot stand still; it must constantly evolve. Opentop was created to connect start-ups with corporations and create an environment that encourages experimentation, the Fdevelopment of pilot projects and the attraction of global talent”.
The dialogue between the president of the Port Authority and the director of the Valenciaport Foundation also addressed the major technological challenges facing the port sector. “The speed of technological change forces us to anticipate,” warned Chao. “There are still uncertainties about the fuels of the future — ammonia, e-methanol, hydrogen — or about the real impact of artificial intelligence, but we must be prepared to adopt technologies that promote competitiveness and decarbonisation in maritime transport”.
Global collaboration and entrepreneurship
In the final part of the dialogue, Mar Chao defended the role of international collaboration in port innovation, inviting participants to “share knowledge and work together to enable us to go further. Initiatives such as the Port Innovators Network, of which Opentop is a founding member, are a clear example of global success. Leading ports share experiences, technologies and start-ups to accelerate open innovation and move towards a common future”.
“Entrepreneurship is the driving force behind port transformation”, concluded Chao. “Through Opentop and collaboration between the public and private sectors and start-ups, we are building the port of the future: more sustainable, smarter and more connected”.
The conference, now in its third year at the City of Arts and Sciences, includes demonstrations and round tables featuring the 20 startups selected following an international call for entries launched in the summer. These startups will present their solutions to investors, public institutions, port authorities and logistics companies. The objectives presented by the entrepreneurs attending PEIC’25 are aimed at achieving greater visibility by offering quality networking opportunities and contact with the port community, as well as access to decision-makers attending the conference, both from port corporations and investors.