The aims of the Port Institute for Studies and Cooperation (IPEC)

The Port Institute Foundation for Studies and Cooperation of the Valencian Community (IPEC Foundation) is a non-profit institution of general interest, jointly established by the Valencian Regional Government (Generalitat Valenciana) and the Port Authorities of Alicante, Castellón and Valencia, in April 1.998 and open to the participation of other interested entities and persons.
The basic purposes of this entity are:
• The continuous improvement of the training of professionals in the port sector.
• The development of studies and research in the maritime port sector, which facilitate technological development and innovation.
• Improving foreign trade management by raising awareness in the productive sector of the economic importance of maritime freight transport and distribution logistics as key elements of the Community's territorial and economic competitiveness.
• The promotion of commercial and industrial activities related to maritime-port traffic.
• The promotion and development of educational, cultural and other initiatives that promote the integration of the Port Community in general, and the Port Administration in particular, into its territorial and social environment.
Ultimately, the promotion of innovation in ports and the fostering of the economic and social projection of the port reality, its operators and users, particularly in the Valencian Community, also relying on the advantages that cooperation with other national and foreign entities implies for the fulfillment of its purposes.
The activities carried out by the IPEC Foundation, to fulfill its objectives, correspond to seven service areas grouped into two main fields of action:
• Innovation in the port sector, which includes the following areas:
• Training, responsible, among others, for the Master Program in Port Management and Intermodal Transport organized jointly with the Pontifical University of Comillas in Madrid, whose 10th edition has just begun.
• Research and Technological Development, through which the Foundation and the maritime-port sector of the Community participate in pioneering projects in terms of modern port management and maritime transport, such as the Community Information System of the Port of Valencia or the ECOPORT Project, for the implementation of Environmental Management Systems in port facilities.
• Study Center that, in collaboration with the universities of the Community, addresses studies of transport, economic and social impact, logistics, foreign trade, as well as port economics and planning.
• Technological, Legislative, Economic and Commercial Information, which has become one of the national benchmarks in terms of information on the sector in our country.
• The PROMOTION of port activity and its integration with society, through the areas of:
• Cooperation, which articulates the numerous agreements and collaborations with national and international entities related to the maritime port sector.
• Technical Assistance, which addresses the demand for specialized services from third-party organizations.
• Cultural Activities, through which it promotes the integration of the cities and ports it represents, by collaborating in the organization of art exhibitions, music series, as well as other types of events that contribute to strengthening this approach.
With all this, the IPEC Foundation aims to become a national and international benchmark, serving as a tool for continuous improvement and reflecting to society the maritime-port sector of the Community, one of the most dynamic and with the greatest future within the Valencian economic fabric.