The ZLC brings together experts and companies to protect the supply chain against the geopolitical crisis

 

Zaragoza Logistics Center (ZLC) held in Zaragoza A strategic event to safeguard global supply chains, bringing together experts and companies to design solutions to geopolitical disruptions and the high energy volatility of international trade.

 

Strategic risk analysis and the role of the Aragonese ecosystem

 

The day of debate, entitled "Resilience in the face of geopolitical uncertainty in the supply chain"It has been established as a specialized forum to analyze the direct impact of geopolitics on the flow of goods. This meeting has been promoted by the ZLC —international center of excellence promoted by the Gobierno de Aragón and affiliated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)— in close collaboration with the cluster ALIA and with the support of the European project RISE SME.

 

During the institutional opening, Isabel Nuez, Managing Director of ZLC, and Eduardo Corella, President of ALIAThey have highlighted the importance of systematically strengthening collaboration between private enterprise, academia, and institutions to build more competitive and sustainable supply chains.

 

The meeting analyzed in detail some of the main operational challenges that organizations currently face in their international transactions:

 

• The sustained increase in energy costs and regulatory volatility in the source and destination markets.
• The severe difficulties in global procurement processes and the imperative need to diversify supplier portfolios.
• The structural shortage of talent and specialized profiles in the modern logistics sector.
• Operational adaptation to disruptions and route blockages that occur with increasing frequency on a global scale.

 

Multimodal infrastructure and flexibility in the face of global disruptions

 

One of the highlights of the day was the executive panel moderated by Rafael de MiguelAcademic Director of ZLC, in which executives of CEOE Aragón, AREX, Aeropuerto de Teruel, Aeropuerto de Zaragoza and Terminal Marítima de Zaragoza (TMZ) They have contributed their operational experience to overcome successive transport crises.

 

During your speech, Rafael de Miguel He praised the preparedness of the business sector in the autonomous community: "Aragon is very well prepared to face disruptions in the supply chain and the impact that geopolitics has today. We have a very solid multimodal structure, thanks to the role of strategic infrastructures such as the Aeropuerto de Zaragoza and Terminal Marítima de Zaragoza"In addition to a genuine logistics culture." The expert also emphasized that corporate flexibility will be the key factor in navigating a complex international landscape.

 

For its part, Eduardo Corella He offered a pragmatic perspective on the immediate challenges facing the logistics sector in the face of international instability, such as the recent crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, defining it as another link in a chain of disruptions to which the transport industry has become accustomed to responding swiftly. Corella emphasized that competitiveness has become a strict obligation.

 

"Aragonese companies represent 4% of the country's GDP, but they have obtained 30% of the innovation projects from the latest call for proposals." AEIS "In projects submitted from Aragon, which demonstrates that they are competitive projects and that is the way forward," argued the president of ALIA to demonstrate the resilience and added value of the regional ecosystem.

 

Technological innovation and digitalization in container management

 

The section dedicated to technological innovation has served as a platform to showcase the various research initiatives in which they are actively involved. ALIA y ZLCAmong the projects that stand out are ADoS, Z-CARE, PLENCO DLT, INDUVET, NAIMA, CARESWINE, Smart Bays, PuntoLocker y UrbanDUM 4.0.

 

Special attention has been paid to the progress of Autoport (Port Logistics Automation with Self-Guided Vehicles), a strategic action initiated last January and led directly by the cluster ALIAThis initiative's central goal is to completely revolutionize the operational management of containers in port facilities through advanced automation processes, the digitization of document flows, and the intensive use of cutting-edge technologies.

 

Alejandro Herráez, Technical Director of ALIAHe explained in detail the scope of these developments within the community: "This means we currently have 43 active projects involving numerous partners and collaborators who can contribute various innovative solutions to the sector." At this very moment, the cluster has 13 innovation projects fully underway, along with those in the technical review phase or awaiting official approval.

 

The day formally concluded with a dynamic workshop held within the framework of RISE SME, an ambitious European project under the direct coordination of ZLCThe workshop has focused on identifying the main enabling technologies and structuring contingency plans to equip small and medium-sized enterprises with tools to face the international environment.

 

At the conclusion of the event, the region's position as one of the leading logistics hubs in Southern Europe was reaffirmed. In this regard, ZLCoperating as a node in the international network MIT Global SCALE Network, has reaffirmed its priority role in strengthening the links between academic research, corporate demands and institutional support.

 

Metrics and strategic indicators of the logistics ecosystem of Aragon

 

The following presents the detailed statistical and logistics innovation data provided by the participating organizations during the corporate sessions:

 

Strategic Indicator Analyzed	Metric / Percentage	Impact Measurement Context
Contribution of companies from ALIA to the Spanish economy	4% of GDP	Relative economic weight of the Aragonese logistics business fabric in the State.
Projects awarded in the last call for proposals AEIS	30% of total	Success rate of innovation projects submitted from the Aragon region.
Innovation projects of ALIA currently under construction	13 projects	Active technological initiatives currently led by the cluster.
Global portfolio of actively managed projects	43 projects	Total sum of live developments (in progress, in preparation and awaiting resolution).

 

Key points and frequently asked questions about resilience in the supply chain

 

Why is Aragon consolidating itself as a logistics hub with high international resilience?

The region has a well-established intermodal transport network thanks to first-rate strategic infrastructure such as the Aeropuerto de Zaragoza and Terminal Marítima de Zaragoza (TMZ)This, combined with a deeply rooted corporate logistics culture, makes it easier for their companies to adapt quickly to geographical blockades or international route crises.

 

What operational transformations does the Autoport innovation project pursue?

The project Autoport, initiated in January 2026 under the leadership of the cluster ALIAIt is designed to transform the physical management of containers in port terminals through the deployment of self-guided vehicles, advanced automation and comprehensive digitization of all linked logistics processes.

 

What is the purpose of the RISE SME European project workshop for the industrial fabric?

This participatory workshop coordinated by ZLC Its primary purpose is to identify critical enabling technologies and design tailored corporate strategies so that small and medium-sized enterprises can assimilate the volatility of international trade and mitigate fluctuating energy costs.