The first call for Ports 4.0 receives more than 120 Ideas
- The presentation of Projects, in the pre-commercial and commercial phases, ends on October 28
- Toledo: "This innovation fund, unprecedented in European logistics, is already a success in view of the number of ideas presented and the advice requested for projects; its traction effect on the competitiveness of the port business will not be long in coming."
- The fund foreseen in this call for Ideas is 500,000 euros, with a unitary aid of 15,000, which means that the offer has been quadrupled.
29-10-2020 (Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda) The Ports 4.0 innovation fund closed the Ideas submission period last night, counting more than 120 entries (this figure will vary slightly with Ideas submitted via ordinary mail). This is the first milestone of the roadmap marked out for the execution of this initiative of the 28 Port Authorities and State Ports, which is included in the Innovation Plan for Transport and Infrastructures of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda (MITMA), and which constitutes the most important substantial project for the adaptation of the Spanish logistics-port sector to the 4.0 economy.
Francisco Toledo, President of the State Ports, has expressed his satisfaction with the first details of the application process. "This innovation fund, unprecedented in European logistics, is already a success in view of the number of ideas presented and the advice requested for projects; its traction effect on the competitiveness of the port business fabric will not be long in coming, and the same goes for its capacity to generate the economy and employment," he explained.
The budget allocation for 2020, financed entirely through the Inter-Port Compensation Fund, with an additional 1% contributed by the 28 Port Authorities, is 12 million euros. The fund foreseen in this call for Ideas is 500,000 euros, with a unitary aid of 15,000, which means that the offer has been quadrupled.
The deadline for the submission of Ideas that ended last night counted 125 registrations, although the number of Ideas that could have been submitted by ordinary mail has yet to be added. The KPMG/Innsomnia joint venture is now beginning the final analysis and selection process. In the case of Ideas, the aid will consist of a fixed and invariable amount of 15,000 euros and the possibility of accessing the services of incubation of the idea or advice to facilitate its business growth.
The next milestone in the Ports 4.0 roadmap is set for 28 October, when the deadline for the submission of Projects in the pre-commercial phase and Projects in the commercial phase will end. In the first case, the aid will consist of a maximum amount of 60% of the costs associated with the innovation component, with a ceiling of EUR 1 million; in the second case, the aid will consist of a maximum amount of 80% of the costs associated with the innovation component, with a ceiling of EUR 2 million.
"It is worth noting that Ports 4.0 arose from the Spanish general interest port system itself, which means that the port authorities have done their job well, detecting the need for innovation and being aware of its importance in competing on world logistics routes in the immediate future," added Toledo. "Hence the sunk investment effort which I am convinced will be supported by the private sector to multiply the effect of the initiative."
- INFORMATION ON THE PRESENTATION PROCESS
Below are some figures that serve to understand the scope of Ports 4.0 and its substantial effect on the port logistics sector.
To date, since the opening of the Ideas and Projects submission period, a total of 584 project leaders have registered with the Ports 4.0 Platform, requesting advice and mentoring for 352 Ideas and Projects.
These assessments and mentorships have been linked to the territorial headquarters of the incubator-accelerator of the Plan to Promote Entrepreneurship for Innovation in A Coruña (11), Algeciras (10), Alicante (7), Barcelona (54), Bilbao (46), Cartagena (20), Las Palmas (22), Madrid (51), Malaga (18), Palma de Mallorca (8), Santander (21), Seville (25), Valencia/Castellón (51) and Vigo (8).
With regard to the thematic verticals, the main percentages of advice requested, both in Ideas and in Pre-commercial and Commercial Projects, correspond to Logistics Efficiency in the Infrastructure, Operational or Service Presentation Field (23%), Digitalisation of Processes and Intelligent Platforms (20%), Environmental Sustainability and Energy (20%) and Security and Protection (16%).
With regard to the technologies to be used to develop the projects within the thematic verticals, the following stand out: Information and Communication Technologies (18%), Process Automation (14%), Artificial Intelligence (14%), Sensorization (12%) and Internet of Things (10%).
Given the position of the ports as the tractor links of Tradetech for the transformation of the logistics chain to the 4.0 economy, the creation of the Ports 4.0 Fund arises as a model of open corporate innovation of the Spanish port system of general interest to promote and facilitate the adaptation of the Spanish logistics-port sector to the 4.0 economy.
The Tradetech concept encompasses any innovative product, service or process resulting from the application of new technologies that make the agents in the logistics-port community and, in short, all the agents that affect trade and the logistics chain, more efficient, sustainable and competitive. The competitiveness of our ports depends to a large extent on the competitiveness of the whole value chain associated with trade.
The aim is to promote the creation or consolidation of a network of emerging companies, start-ups, spin-offs or new business lines of existing companies that develop and implement innovative products, services and processes for the Spanish logistics-port sector, with a focus on the market.
