The Management Board of the Port of Barcelona validated the body's Innovation Plan, the document which establishes an innovation model based on the current and future needs of Barcelona's Port Community and the society it serves. This model focuses on sustainable, open, collaborative, demand-driven innovation, in line with the Port's strategy and firmly rooted in technology, according to the company's release.
The ultimate objectives of the Plan, which includes the proposals set out in the Port of Barcelona Fourth Strategic Plan, are to strengthen the role of the Port as a driver for economic growth, encourage innovation, promote the digitalisation of the logistics ecosystem and foster synergies with the city in this area.
The Port of Barcelona Innovation Plan is based on an analysis of the Port's current situation in areas such as the use of technology, the innovative culture of the Port Community, the potential of Barcelona's innovative ecosystem and related dissemination efforts. It goes on to specify the actions necessary to consolidate and extend this innovative model and, finally, establishes the management tools and structures that will facilitate this cross-cutting transformation of port activity.
The Innovation Plan defines lines of work aimed at developing agile and cross-cutting management structures involving the entire Port Community of Barcelona; forging alliances with Barcelona's innovative environment; stimulating sectoral innovation and publicising the innovative activity of the Port.
To achieve these objectives, the Innovation Plan envisions launching the BCN Port Innovation Foundation, which will make it easier to manage innovative initiatives in Barcelona Port Community's relationship with the innovative ecosystem of Barcelona, and to develop specific plans for companies in the port maritime sector. In addition to promoting alliances with the ensemble of innovation actors in the Port and in the city, the Plan establishes the need to create spaces where innovation can be developed successfully. These spaces are specified in initiatives like the Blue Economy technology district, an innovation hub and a space for promoting research and training in the port area.