Cadiz, world capital of foreign trade: The city will host the Ibero-American Free Trade Zones Summit in 2026

 

The announcement, which came at the close of this year's summit in Punta del Este, Uruguay, consolidates Cadiz's position as a benchmark for the Blue Economy and Industry 4.0 innovation globally.

 

Fran González , the State Delegate to the Cádiz Free Trade Zone, was responsible for receiving the transfer of headquarters. He was accompanied by the AZFA board of directors, including Carlos Wong, Vice President; Enrique Buero, President of the Chamber of Free Trade Zones; and Julio Rodríguez, AZFA Executive Director. González was also ratified as a member of the board of directors of the Association of Free Trade Zones of the Americas.

 

This will be the second time that Cadiz has hosted the Ibero-American Free Zones Conference, repeating the experience of 2002.

 

Leadership in the Blue Economy and Strategic Alliances

 

The Cádiz bid prevailed at the international forum, bolstered by the Consortium's remarkable consolidation as a hub for the Blue Economy, driven by projects such as Incubazul and Blue Core , and the successful organization of the three editions of the Blue Zone Forum. Delegate Fran González framed the designation within a national strategy, highlighting the city's importance as a geostrategic connection point.

 

“We take up this mantle with the satisfaction and responsibility of organizing an international forum that will showcase Cádiz’s leadership among the most modern, innovative, and sustainable free trade zones 4.0,” González stated after the appointment. “This designation will highlight the potential of these logistics spaces to attract investment in times of global geopolitical uncertainty.”

 

The achievement also reflects the improvement of the entity's accounts and the strengthening of alliances with free trade zones on both sides of the Atlantic, crucial elements for the stability and progress of relations between Spain-Europe and Latin America.

 

The intense week of the Cadiz delegation's agenda in Uruguay concluded with Fran González's intervention in the round table "Free Zones: Challenges and Opportunities in Disruptive Times", where he highlighted the 100% digital management model of the Cadiz Free Zone and the application of Artificial Intelligence to its flagship projects.