More than 650 attendees gather at the 1st National Port Congress to address the challenges of a strategic sector for Spain

• The Secretary of State for Transport, José Antonio Santano, highlighted the importance of the port system as “one of the main pillars of transport, competitiveness and the Spanish economy.”
• The President of Puertos del Estado, Gustavo Santana, stressed “the need to foster cooperation between public administrations and the private sector in order to successfully tackle the challenges that are already here.”

03-03-2026 (Puertos del Estado). The Secretary of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, José Antonio Santano, inaugurated the 1st National Port Sector Congress in Valencia, before an audience of more than 650 participants.

“The port system is one of the main pillars of transport, competitiveness and the economy of our country. We have 46 ports of general interest managed by 28 Port Authorities, which face a crucial horizon in the coming years. Investments worth €7 billion are planned through 2029, a major commitment that will enable these strategic State infrastructures to drive growth and strengthen Spain’s position as a global logistics hub, focusing on decarbonisation, rail connectivity and the modernisation of the transport system,” he stated.

For his part, the President of Puertos del Estado, Gustavo Santana, underlined that “this Congress was conceived with the aim of looking beyond the short term, fostering cooperation between public administrations and the private sector, and building consensus to successfully address the challenges that are already here. Because the transformation of ports is not only a technical matter; it is a strategic matter for the country.”

The President of the Port Authority of Valencia, Mar Chao, pointed to “sustainability and digitalisation as the key issues for Spanish ports, and particularly for the Port of Valencia.”

Over three days, more than 50 national and international experts are meeting in 12 round tables and four keynote sessions under the title “The challenges of a strategic sector for Spain”, at a congress organised by Puertos del Estado in collaboration with the Port Authority of Valencia, with the aim of sharing initiatives to enhance the sector’s efficiency and competitiveness.

The first day focused on port strategy in a transforming world, addressing how current geopolitical and economic uncertainty is impacting the port sector. Decarbonisation and sustainability in port infrastructures were also discussed: new fuels and the challenge of quay electrification. Participants included representatives from the European Commission, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and public bodies such as the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, ICEX and Red Eléctrica; energy companies such as Enagás, Endesa, Iberdrola, Regenera and Moeve; and shipping lines such as MSC and Baleària.

Tomorrow’s programme will focus on “Port Operations and Security”, addressing the current situation of terminals and service providers, with representatives including Boluda, BEST, Ership, Noatum, Atlantic Copper, the Spanish Association of Mooring Companies and the National College of Maritime Pilots. Port business models will also be discussed from the investors’ perspective, with Algeposa, Ocean Capital Partners, COSCO and JSV. Senior officials from the Directorate-General of the Merchant Marine and UNCTAD will provide an overview of the global maritime transport landscape.

There will also be debate on security at these strategic State infrastructures and border control, with representatives from the Ministry of the Interior, the National Centre for the Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Cybersecurity, and the Spanish Tax Agency. The day will conclude with a round table on digitalisation and technology trends, with contributions from Indra, Brain and Code and the Smart Ports Chair of Jaume I University.

The 1st National Port Sector Congress will close on Thursday with the session “The social dimension in ports”, focusing on people-centred initiatives, including the future of maritime-port professions, with experts from the National Institute of Public Administration, the Spanish Maritime Institute, Wista and Randstad. Several Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in ports will also be presented, featuring Stella Maris, Mercy Ships, Costa Cruises and the Social Institute of the Navy.