The 1st National Congress of the Port Sector will feature ten round tables and more than 50 speakers to address ‘The challenges of a strategic sector for Spain’

•    Organised by Puertos del Estado, in collaboration with the Port Authority of Valencia, the congress will be held in Valencia from 3 to 5 March 2026.

17-11-2025 (Puertos del Estado). Three days of debates, ten round tables, five keynote speeches, and more than 50 high-level speakers will make up the 1st National Congress of the Port Sector, organised by Puertos del Estado in collaboration with the Port Authority of Valencia. The event will take place from 3 to 5 March 2026 in Valencia under the title “The challenges of a strategic sector for Spain.”

The congress will bring together in a single global forum all the key topics shaping the logistics-port sector’s agenda. On the first day, discussions will focus on geopolitical trends and their impact on the port sector—particularly relevant in a context of change and uncertainty in the global economy and international trade. The programme will also address decarbonisation and sustainability in port infrastructure, including new fuels and the challenge of electrifying port berths. Participants will include representatives of the European Commission, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and public administrations such as the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility and Red Eléctrica; energy companies including Enagás, Endesa and Moeve; and shipping lines such as MSC and Baleària.

The second day will focus on “Port Operations and Security,” addressing the current landscape of terminals and service providers, with representatives from Best, Ership, Noatum, TTIA, Atlantic Copper, Boluda, the Mooring Operators Association, and the National College of Pilots, among others. Port business models will also be discussed from the perspective of investors, with contributions from Ocean Capital Partners, Cosco and JSV. To provide an overview of the global maritime transport situation, senior officials from the Directorate-General for Merchant Shipping and UNCTAD will participate.

Debates will also cover security at these strategic state facilities and border control, with representatives from the Ministry of the Interior, the National Centre for Critical Infrastructure, and the Tax Administration. The day will conclude with a round table on digitalisation and technology trends, featuring Indra, Brain and Code, and the Smart Ports Chair of the Jaume I University.

The 1st National Congress of the Port Sector will conclude on Thursday, 5 March with a session on “The social dimension in ports,” focusing on people-centred initiatives such as the future of maritime-port professions, with experts from the Spanish Maritime Institute and Randstad, among others. Several Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in ports will also be presented, with the participation of Stella Maris, Mercy Ships, Costa Cruises and the Social Institute of the Navy.

The aim of these three days of debate and networking is to turn challenges into opportunities to boost the efficiency and competitiveness of a sector that is key to Spain’s economic development. The Congress is aimed at Port Authorities, public administrations, logistics and maritime transport companies, port operators and terminal operators, port and commercial service providers, shippers, suppliers, investors, as well as energy companies, universities and research centres, start-ups, consultancies, and professionals in general from sectors connected to the port ecosystem.