- A practical programme: on 21 October, from 10.00 to 18.15 at the Agora Stage at the VDS, featuring keynote speeches by André Simha and Mare Straetmans, as well as various themed sessions of interest to the sector
- A meeting point for national and international ports: more than six national port authorities will be in attendance, and ports and port innovation hubs such as homePORT (Hamburg), The PIER (Halifax), the Port of San Diego (USA), the Port of Esbjerg (Denmark), the Port of Tyne (UK), NIMO (Northern Ireland Ports), SmartPortLab (Argentina) and thinkPort Vienna (Austria)
Valencia, 7 October 2026. – Opentop, Valenciaport’s open innovation hub – an initiative of the Fundación Valenciaport with the support of the Port Authority of Valencia – presents the programme for the fourth edition of PEIC (Port Entrepreneurship International Congress), the leading international congress on port entrepreneurship and innovation, which will take place on 21 October at the Agora Stage in Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences, as part of the VDS.
Now in its fourth year, the congress has established itself firmly on the international calendar thanks to the calibre of its speakers and the public’s keen interest in attending. Having already announced the selected start-ups, Opentop has now unveiled a programme featuring: dynamic sessions, formats that bring start-ups into close contact with industry experts, live demonstrations and dedicated time for attendees to engage in high-quality sector-specific networking.
The updated PEIC agenda is available here: LINK
The day will open with an institutional dialogue between Mar Chao, chair of the Valencia Port Authority, and Antonio Torregrosa, director-general of the Fundación Valenciaport, followed by the first keynote speech, delivered by André Simha, on the impact of innovation on the ports of the future.
This will be followed by sessions on the Blue Economy and the challenges and trends in financing port innovation; these will lead into the PIN (Port Innovators Network) round table and subsequently the session on supply chain efficiency.
After lunch, there will be live demonstrations and sessions on the themes of Security and Resilience, and Sustainability and Energy Transition, leading into the final keynote address by Mare Straetmans, founder of Platform Zero, on success stories of public-private collaboration in the sector.
The day will conclude with closing remarks by Juan Manuel Díez, jHead of Innovation at the Port Authority of Valencia, and the presentation of the three PEIC awards: the People’s Choice Award, the International Innovation Award and the Best Start-up Award, chosen by a jury of experts.
Among the experts taking to the stage are Jonas Van Hove (Kiwa), Antonio Miranda Bonet (Director-General for Energy and Mines at the Valencian Regional Government), Christian Thiel (Turquoise X), José Luis Rivas (DHL) and Sriram Giridhar (HPC), alongside investors such as Oliver Risse (Onenorth Ventures), Javier Megias (Zubi Group) and Raúl Martín (Plug and Play).
Port Innovators Network (PIN) will be represented on stage by: Jasper Von Meien (homePORT, Hamburg), David Thomas and Mike Davie (The PIER, Halifax), Jason Giffen (Port of San Diego, USA),
Kerry Muldoon (NIMO, Northern Ireland), Maria Anglada (Port of Esbjerg, Denmark), Martin Virdis (SmartPortLab, Argentina), Elaine Scott (Port of Tyne, UK), and Martin Posset (thinkPort Vienna, Austria), who will share how port innovation is being driven on a global scale.
Joining them will be the 20 start-ups taking to the stage, plus the five selected to take part in the VDS pitch competition, those presenting in the new demonstration area on the lake at the City of Arts and Sciences, and the 13 participating in the PEIC Resilience Forum. In total, more than 45 selected start-ups will be coming to Valencia to share their innovations.
Statements
Juan Manuel Díez, Head of Innovation at the Port Authority of Valencia, said:
“Now in its fourth year, the PEIC has already become an unmissable event on the port innovation calendar. Over the course of these days, Valenciaport serves as a meeting point for national and international ports that share common challenges and come to Valencia to discover solutions and engage directly with the innovative companies developing them.
What sets this conference apart is its practical nature: we can say that the PEIC accelerates international open innovation, and we have success stories that prove it.”
André Simha, Founder & Strategic Advisor at Andre Simha Advisory, who will deliver the conference’s opening keynote, emphasised:
“I am delighted to have been invited to deliver a keynote address at PEIC 2026, where I will share my practical vision for operational efficiency, resilience and the reduction of emissions, and set a pragmatic challenge for the start-ups and innovators who are shaping the logistics ecosystem of tomorrow.”
Events such as PEIC provide the perfect opportunity to strengthen the connections and synergies between sectors that keep global supply chains moving efficiently and sustainably.
It is always a pleasure to return to Valencia, a city and a port that offer the ideal setting to demonstrate that true innovation does not lie in building isolated systems, but in creating open and connected ecosystems in which we all move forward together.”
Mare Straetmans, Founder of Platform Zero, who will close the programme with the final keynote speech, said:
“More than ever, Europe needs to accelerate the scaling up of technology and secure its own sustainable energy future. That is why collaboration between start-ups, ports and industry is essential.
PEIC is becoming a powerful platform precisely for this purpose: to bring together innovators, business leaders and ports to turn ideas into scalable solutions. Its rapid development within the VDS reflects both the urgency of the mission and the commitment of the team driving it.
Valencia is establishing itself as an increasingly important hub for people capable of turning innovation into real industrial impact.”
The updated PEIC programme is available here: LINK
