Antonio Torregrosa: "Resilience and adaptation to everything that is happening in logistics are at the forefront"

 

 

La Fundación Valenciaport It is a center for Applied Research, Innovation, and Training serving the logistics and port cluster. It is an initiative of the Autoridad Portuaria de Valencia which has been joined by leading companies, universities, and institutions within the port community. Since its inception, the Foundation has developed projects in more than 65 countries, primarily in the field of Mediterráneo, the rest of Europa, Asia y América Latina.

 

Antonio Torregrosa has accumulated more than 20 years of experience in the field of innovation in the sector logistics-portHe holds a degree in Economic and business Sciences awarded by the Universitat de ValènciaMaster's degree in International Trade Management and Diploma in Advanced Studies in Business Management.

 

He has worked as a project manager in the Instituto de Economía Internacional and later from the Fundación Valenciaport, an organization he currently leads. Accustomed to leading and coordinating activities of R+D in various fields related to economy, international trade, Services and logistics, its curricular specialization is geared towards the innovation on issues related to maritime-port area.

 

Professional Profile	Details
Experience	+20 years in logistics innovation
Current Institution	Fundación Valenciaport
Training	Economics and Business (UV)
Specialty	Maritime-Port R&D

 

1. What is your assessment of these first 25 years of the 21st century in the evolution of port logistics and the internationalization of Spanish companies?

 

Antonio TorregrosaThese first 25 years have been, we could say, thrilling. They have been years of great uncertainty, of great speed, and we have had very different crises in which logistics and transport have played a fundamental role. First, we had the financial crisis, which ultimately called our welfare state into question. We had a health crisis with the COVIDThen came the climate crisis… That one came from the 20th century, but it's in the 21st century that we've had to really get our act together. We've also had the geopolitical crisis, and the role that [the political system] has played. Rusia, who is playing China, Estados Unidoswhich is very relevant and we are finally immersed in a trade crisis caused mainly by the trade policy of the Estados Unidos.

 

AT: Logistics has played a fundamental role in all these crises, but it is especially relevant in some of them. In the crisis of COVID We were an essential service, and the importance and necessity of having efficient logistics to serve our society was demonstrated. We also have a fundamental role in the climate crisis because transportation is a major generator of emissions, and there we clearly have a responsibility and a great challenge. Then, well, there's the geopolitical crisis. The role of ports is changing at a significant pace, both for ports and for transportation in general. Logistics is no longer just for civilian use, but also for military use and emergency response; it is tremendously important.

 

AT: On the commercial side, we have to keep up with what the market is taking us and the new reorganizations of global trade flows that stem from trends like friendshoring or nearshoring , with changes in production centers or the decline in trade itself that may come from the greater impact of tariffs and non-tariff barriers. This means that the buzzword, which is resilience and adaptation to everything that is happening, is at the forefront in logistics.

 

Innovation and knowledge: tools for competitiveness

 

2. In this environment of constant change, what is the main role that [the organization] plays today? Fundación Valenciaport to boost innovation and competitiveness within the cluster?

 

AT: In such a rapidly changing environment, innovation and knowledge are two fundamental tools that companies in general, and those in the transport and logistics sector in particular, have to survive and compete in such a challenging environment. What does that mean? Well, it means that anyone who thinks they can continue doing things the same old way is mistaken. They're mistaken because the environment is what it is.

 

AT: So, what do we do to help? Well, the first thing we do is generate and share the information and knowledge we create. This is done through R&D projects, which allow us to incorporate the latest technologies to improve the efficiency and sustainability of the system. We, particularly at the port of Valencia We have our innovation committee, which is a bit of a guide given to us by companies in the port community to help us focus our innovation efforts, and with that we are creating an innovation plan for the port community.

 

AT: But beyond innovation and technology, market intelligence is also a fundamental service because, navigating turbulent geopolitical waters, having up-to-date market information is always very useful. In this regard, we've just launched a very exciting project called Faros 39.0, which is our knowledge hub, the space where we will share that knowledge, from the most popular to the most scientific, including all branches of innovation analysis and knowledge and information generated here in the port of Valenciabut also in other parts of the world. Alongside this knowledge hub, we also have our open innovation hub, which is called Opentop, which is the space where we attract the best start-ups, the best technology SMEs to help us build the port of the future with their ideas and their technology.

 

AT: Finally, innovation funding is also very important. Innovation is a complex environment in which companies often struggle to organize projects and secure funding to reduce costs. Therefore, we also have a structure called Imarport, which is dedicated precisely to that, to achieving, the technical know-how to organize projects and obtain the funding that companies need.

 

Medium-term challenges: Sustainability and Digitalization

 

3. Looking to the medium term, what are the biggest challenges and opportunities you identify for the Spanish logistics sector?

 

AT: As with the rest of the economy and society, environmental sustainability and the fight against climate change, the context of the energy transition is, of course, a major challenge in the field of logistics and transport. Achieving zero emissions is a regulatory requirement, that is to say, Europa It's being demanded of us, but it's also a market demand. Companies already know this; logistics companies have to contribute to these zero-emission logistics operations. The reality is that Unión Europea He has set out to lead this process on a global scale, and we must support him. In the case of ports, where we work through the Foundation, progress has been very significant; there are many initiatives for decarbonization, electrification, and more.

 

AT: Also in the maritime sector, although the big challenge there is finalizing which fuels, or rather the fuel mix, will be used in the future, and that has many implications in terms of safety and how bunkering will be carried out ; it's a very important challenge. Then there's the challenge of rail. Rail has a challenge; it's a very sustainable mode of transport, and it faces the challenge of efficiency, which, logically, will have to keep improving.

 

AT: Although for me, the biggest challenge lies in road transport. Decarbonizing land transport and achieving greener, cleaner transport with the current vehicle fleet is clearly a challenge of enormous proportions. But it's not all about sustainability. Digitalization, as you mentioned, is also very important. In our case, we're focusing primarily on automation and robotics, the use of artificial intelligence, and the use of data spaces that will allow us to build digital twins, as well as interoperability between platforms. There's a lot of digitalization, but we need to communicate and converge. Those would be the main things in the medium term.

 

AT: We are also very concerned, and are working hard on this, and it will undoubtedly be one of our key issues for the coming years, which is everything related to security and protection. Within ports and logistics in general, there are many critical infrastructures, and then there's the problem of cybersecurity. Naturally, these are very current challenges and trends. And finally, there's everything related to talent and employment. We've seen how it's already a reality that in the land transport and maritime transport sectors, there's a shortage of truck drivers, a lack of personnel willing to embark on voyages. España and in Europa It's extremely important; we have a problem and we have to address it. Then, a second aspect is that the introduction, above all, of digitalization, artificial intelligence, and automation is challenging the entire employment system. We need to identify these new jobs associated with the digital transition, and to a lesser extent, the energy transition, and, of course, create the conditions for the market to adapt to these trends.

 

Training and Flagship Projects

 

4. To address these challenges, what key training projects or lines of inquiry are you currently promoting that are especially relevant for professionals in the sector?

 

AT: We have a project within our strategic plan that is very important to us, which is to identify the professional profiles needed to build the ports of the future. In other words, there are a number of trends we've already discussed—digital, environmental, security—and this means we have to adapt professional profiles to this reality. And that involves identifying the profiles, identifying key competencies, developing training materials—in short, a whole series of activities that help adapt the market.

 

AT: We are doing this in the case of logistics and ports, with initiatives such as a new energy transition course, so that the general public within companies can understand the challenges of the energy transition, or what has been one of our flagship projects in recent years, which is vocational training, or what we call it in the field of port investment. This basically consists of providing those with non-specialized vocational training the specialization they need to successfully integrate into an environment like a port, and it covers the entire spectrum of vocational training. Alongside this, of course, we offer more traditional training programs that are adapted to the needs of the market at any given time, such as the master's degree in port management. When we turn to innovation, we currently have around 45 innovation projects underway, most of them co-financed with European funds, and the challenges there are enormous in all areas of logistics.

 

AT: To give you an example, our innovation committee recently defined two flagship projects that will guide us throughout the coming year and are highly relevant. The first concerns measuring and communicating the carbon footprint across the entire door-to-door logistics chain. This project aims to enable real-time measurement and effective communication, aligning with the global trend towards zero emissions. The second project, also very topical, focuses on port response to emergencies—and we're talking about emergencies of all kinds. For example, we recently had the... DANAIn this context, ports and the logistics sector in general can play a crucial role, not only because they must maintain their infrastructure and continue providing services, but also because they possess specific tools, processes, and machinery that can assist in emergency response. This includes not only climate-related emergencies, but also other issues such as cybersecurity, power outages, and any other unforeseen circumstances. These are two relevant examples. Other areas of focus include the development of digital twins in logistics. We are already seeing twin initiatives in some companies and sectors, but these need to be consolidated to understand the broader concept of a digital twin for logistics. Another example is innovation in clean energy and alternative fuels, which applies to all subsectors within logistics.

 

Crucial Trends

 

5. What technological or market trend do you consider crucial to monitor in the coming months?

 

AT: On the market side, I would say, well, we have recently heard statements from the G7 They were saying that if we continue at the current pace, we're headed for disaster, speaking in terms of geopolitics and geostrategy. And therefore, in the market, the trend is certainly clear: the days when a logistics manager didn't need to worry about what was happening in the world are over. Now, it's essential to be present. From a technological standpoint, I believe that the combination of artificial intelligence and data spaces to build digital twins that allow us to improve operations and sustainability will also be extremely relevant in the coming years.

 

6. What advice would you give to a company that wants to optimize its international logistics chain today?

 

AT: As one would expect, from the Fundación Valenciaport I would recommend that they put innovation and knowledge at the heart of their strategy. I believe that the things we've been discussing—monitoring how the world is evolving geopolitically and understanding the latest technologies and how they can help improve their business—are fundamental. The company's ability to incorporate innovation and knowledge into its strategy will determine its competitiveness in the medium and long term.

 

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Milestone / Fact	Description
International reach	Projects in more than 65 countries
innovation projects	45 open projects (R&D&I)
New Hubs	Faros 39.0 y Opentop
Main axes 2026	Zero emissions, AI and Emergency Response

 

Key points and frequently asked questions about Logistics and Ports

 

What role does logistics play in climate emergencies? It is fundamental, as seen in the DANAPorts must not only withstand the pressure, but also contribute machinery and processes for social recovery.

 

How does US policy affect trade? It generates a trade crisis marked by tariffs and non-tariff barriers that force companies to seek resilience.

 

What is a digital twin in logistics? It is a virtual representation of the supply chain that, through data and AI, allows for the optimization of operations and the prediction of failures.