The general director of the PAV, Francesc Sánchez, and the head of Strategic Planning and Innovation, Juan Manuel Díez, explained the keys to post-COVID-19 transport and the sector’s commitment to sustainability and digitalisation

Valenciaport brings its experience and knowledge to promote the competitiveness of the Latin American logistics community

UNCTAD’s “Train for Trade” programme has been organised in cooperation with the General Administration of Ports (AGP) of the Argentinean government and the Port Authorities of Valencia and Gijón

 The Port Authority of Valencia  has travelled to Argentina to train managers from Latin America in a course on port management. This training action is part of UNCTAD’s “Train for Trade” programme in collaboration with the General Administration of Ports of the Ministry of Transport of Argentina and the Port Authorities of Valencia and Gijón. The conference focuses on how to deal with the setbacks that the ports will have to face after COVID-19 and the challenges for the coming years. The general manager of the APV, Francesc Sánchez and the head of Strategic Planning and Innovation, Juan Manuel Díez, explained the challenges in the maritime sector in the coming years and the sustainability and innovation projects being carried out at Valenciaport.

The Port of Valencia is Spain’s leading port, the fourth largest in Europe and one of the most important in the world. It is a benchmark in the port system in terms of infrastructures, sustainability, innovation and city-port relations, which is an incentive for all those who are being trained in the operation of ports. For this reason, “attending training courses in which we can teach managers from other port areas how to put our actions into practice in order to improve their competitiveness and that of their logistics community is also an important part of a benchmark port like Valencia”, says Francesc Sánchez.

The main concerns of those working in the port world on this ‘Train for Trade’ day are related to climate change, adaptation to new technologies or the difficulties of importing and exporting after the coronavirus. Aspects in which Valenciaport has implemented some of the most sustainable and innovative initiatives of the port system.

Thus, Francesc Sánchez explained the challenges of maritime transport and import/export post COVID-19, while Juan Manuel Díez offered his knowledge in the areas of climate change, innovation, digitalisation and territorial integration and the development of Port-City relations. Other speakers included Vicente Jiménez, UNCTAD consultant and ex Head Human Resources, Gonzalo Ayala, UNCTAD, Pablo Cabriffosse, Director of Security and General Services of the Port Authority of Gijón (GPA), José García Pedrayes, Director of Human Resources of GPA and Marcelo Peyregne, Manager General Administrator of Ports of Argentina.

The workshops were attended by technicians from the AGP and those responsible for the Provincial Port Authority of Tierra del Fuego, the Argentinean Navy, the Navigation Centre, the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the UBA, the Naval Prefecture, the ports of Dock Sud, Barranqueras, San Nicolás, Puerto Madryn, Quequén, Bahía Blanca and Santa Fe; and dozens of companies in the sector. On the international side, authorities from Bolivia, Peru and the Dominican Republic travelled.

The conferences are part of the TrainForTrade programme coordinated by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), and with the collaboration of the PAV and the GPA, which aim to contribute to promoting and strengthening the capacities of port development actors. The programme promotes institutional strengthening and collaborating in the formulation of development policies favourable to the creation of spaces for international trade exchange, thus favouring synergies between the different port communities.