Spain Smart Port Authorities
The digital revolution and growing demand for automation has led Spanish ports to evolve their services, markets, and technologies to adapt to global technology standards. Spain is leading in the region on smart technology in the transport and logistics sector, evolving its ports to the fourth generation of port development, smart ports. With access to the Mediterranean, Cantabrian Sea and Atlantic Ocean, Spain stands out as a port leader in Europe. With industry changes expanding the need for smart technology, operational excellence, migrating activities, and new business opportunities are the biggest challenges driving this evolution.
The growing focus on sustainability, energy, and environment have resulted from environmental regulations, burgeoning social pressure, and ports’ spatial constraints. Measures including the automation of entrance and exit terminal controls with paperless telematic services to speed up management controls and actions to control and reduce the impact on the environment have been implemented to increase ports’ sustainability. Furthermore, initiatives to make available atmospheric sensors to analyze the air quality in the different port areas and control emissions from ships (EcoCalculadora) are in effect. As an example, the port of Vigo and their Smart Viport system, are involved in energy efficiency and mooring monitoring.
The Spanish Port Authority is a public body assigned to the Ministry of Public Works. Within this governing body, there are actually 28 port authorities who manage the 46 sea ports of general interest, under the public entity, Puertos del Estado or State Ports.
The Spanish constitution distinguishes between the country’s ports managed by the government (Art. 149) and those managed by autonomous communities (Art. 148). The ports of Andalusia, Asturias, Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Cantabria, Catalunya, Galicia, Murcia, the Basque Country, and the Community of Valencia are all managed by their respective autonomous communities.
A focus on sustainability, energy, and environment have resulted from burgeoning social pressure, and ports’ spatial constraints. The automation of entrance and exit terminal controls with paperless telematic services to speed up management controls and actions to control and reduce the impact on the environment have been implemented to increase ports’ sustainability.
Initiatives to make available atmospheric sensors to analyze the air quality in the different port areas and control emissions from ships (EcoCalculadora) are in effect. As an example, the port of Vigo and their Smart Viport system, are involved in energy efficiency and mooring monitoring.
Port Authorities and Organizations
1. Ministry of Public Works and Transportation
2. Port Authority of Valencia
3. Port Authority of Algeciras
4. Port Authority of Barcelona
5. Port Authority of Las Palmas
For more information contact Office.Madrid@trade.gov