The latest Puertos 4.0 Ideas call records an 88.5% increase in the number of applications
Since its launch, the State-owned port system fund has financed around 200 projects with a total of €53.75 million
20-03-2026 (Puertos del Estado). The Ideas call under the Puertos 4.0 fund, promoted by the Spanish State Ports Authority and Port Authorities and launched in December 2025, has closed with record participation: 164 ideas were submitted, representing an 88.5% increase compared to the previous call (2023), which received 87 ideas.
A total of €750,000 has been allocated to this category, aimed at increasing the technological maturity level of the ideas, with the commitment to carry out work leading to a real step forward towards subsequent project stages.
The call for Commercial Projects, also launched in December 2025 and endowed with €6 million, remains open until 31 March.
The Puertos 4.0 fund aims to attract, support and foster innovation in the port logistics sector by promoting disruptive technologies and improving processes, products and services. The grants are intended to finance projects that introduce technological or applied innovations, generating added value for the Spanish port ecosystem, and are part of the State Ports Authority’s commitment to innovation.
With these new calls, the Puertos 4.0 Fund is consolidating its position as the main tool for technological transformation in the port logistics sector, mobilising both public and private investment and, ultimately, fostering innovation in maritime transport and port logistics in Spain, contributing to its international competitiveness.
Since the launch of the Puertos 4.0 fund in 2020, six calls have been issued for a total of €53.75 million, funding nearly 200 innovative ideas and projects across the three categories (Ideas, Commercial Projects and Pre-commercial Projects), out of more than 1,000 applications submitted.
A new call for Pre-commercial Projects, with a budget of €11,250,000, is scheduled to be launched in the last quarter of this year, in accordance with the decision adopted by the Interport Compensation Fund Distribution Committee at its meeting in October 2025.
Further information and details on the ongoing call and its regulatory framework can be found in the Official State Gazette (BOE) (https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2025/12/30/pdfs/BOE-B-2025-48112.pdf) as well as on the programme’s official website (www.ports40.es).