​The ceremony where Juan José Cardona took office as president of the Las Palmas Port Authority

Llorca highlights the potential of the Port of Las Palmas

• A tender will soon open for work on the Reina Sofía Quay, which will add another 300 meters of mooring

05-24-2018 (Spanish Ministry of Public Works and Transport). The president of Puertos del Estado (Spanish state ports), José Llorca, attended the ceremony where Juan José Cardona took office as president of the Las Palmas Port Authority. During his speech, Llorca reminded us of the fundamental role played by investment in the advancement of the Port of Las Palmas and, in this regard, announced that a tender will be opened in a few weeks' time for the long-awaited work on the Reina Sofía Quay, which will add another 300 meters of mooring and mark a "before and after" for the Port of Las Palmas.

Llorca also stated that the Port of Las Palmas has enormous potential and Puertos del Estado is going to do everything it can to provide support for all agents working at and for the port. Llorca underlined decarbonization as one of the most immediate phenomena that the Port of Las Palmas will have to follow – and it actually already is by using gas for shipbuilding.

Earlier, the new president of the Las Palmas Port Authority had said that understanding, agreement and best practices must form the backbone of this new phase of consolidating the Port of Las Palmas as the economic driver of the islands and he was disposed to listen to everyone and work intensely to do this with prudence and determination. "The best kind of president is one who is always there. The port works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so its president does too," said Cardona.

Cardona said that one of the aspects most urgently requiring a solution was the issue of the port authority's mobility and, in this regard, the president has chosen to work with an action unit to meet all targets and has called on the Town Council, the Canary Islands Government and other administrations, the Canary Islands Special Zone, free zone and university to work together to achieve the greatest success. "Anyone who knows me and has worked or collaborated with me knows that I like to work with an action unit, encouraging teamwork and coordination with the engagement of all parties involved in a certain project."

With regard to the most immediate challenges, Cardona said that the Port of Las Palmas should strengthen its commercial weight and, to do that, there needs to be less talk about cement and more about maritime trade, and the way to achieve this is by drawing up a strict commercial strategy shared by the port community. Another immediate goal is making the move to Ports 4.0 and, in this respect, he said that the digital revolution is approaching at a dizzying pace. The port community must be ready for this challenge, as the social and economic sectors of the islands depend on it. He emphasized that any measures necessary must be available for this move to 4.0. 

For his part, the Vice President and Minister for Public Works and Transport of the Government of the Canary Islands, Pablo Rodríguez, welcomed the new president of the port authority and said, "Juan José Cardona has the support of the autonomous executive for working hand-in-hand to develop this territory and advance the social and economic progress of the archipelago." Rodríguez highlighted the work of the former president of the port authority Luis Ibarra and said, "Ports are an open gateway to the world beyond, our link to the union and connection with the world, a cornerstone in the internationalization strategy being promoted by the Government of the Canary Islands."