The Port of Barcelona has launched construction of BlueTechPort, a major innovation project set to position the port as a pioneering European hub for applied innovation in the blue economy. Developed jointly by the Port of Barcelona and World Trade Center Barcelona (WTCB), the initiative will convert the Sant Bertran wharf sheds into a 25,000-square-metre centre dedicated to maritime and port-related innovation.

The laying of the first stone marks the start of works backed by an investment of €60 million. Scheduled for completion in 2028, BlueTechPort will provide workspace for around 2,500 professionals and host companies and organisations linked to the blue economy. Beyond the physical building, the project aims to turn the entire Port of Barcelona precinct into a large-scale experimentation laboratory, using real port operations as a test bed for new technologies, services and business models.

BlueTechPort is designed to become the flagship of a broader innovation ecosystem, representing a major step forward in the port’s innovation strategy. The initiative is already underway: 22 companies are currently operating within the BlueTechPort framework, split between Pier01 at Tech Barcelona, where the project originated, and the first warehouse at the Sant Bertran sheds, which is expected to open by the autumn.

Several of these companies are already testing prototypes and conducting trials along a 50-metre stretch of the Barcelona Nord wharf специально prepared for innovation activities. This approach is expected to be scaled up across the port, extending the impact of BlueTechPort beyond Sant Bertran and integrating innovation throughout the port area and the wider city.

The refurbishment of the Sant Bertran sheds, which will serve as BlueTechPort’s headquarters, has been designed by b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos. The project is being led in partnership with World Trade Center Barcelona, which is responsible for executing the works following the award of a 36-year concession for the building.

“BlueTechPort is more than just a building – it is the gateway to an open laboratory that encompasses the entire Port of Barcelona, where innovation is tested in real conditions,” stated Port of Barcelona President José Alberto Carbonell, who added that “the building and the rest of the port precinct will function as a single ecosystem, which the BCN Port Innovation Foundation and the projects of the Ports 4.0 programme are also part of. This ecosystem is ideal for testing innovations and generating an impact in the logistics and blue economy sector. We will also add synergies with other leading players from the innovation sector that have chosen the Port as their headquarters and are already fully operational, such as Tech Barcelona or Norrsken, which are among Europe’s main technological innovation and impact hubs.”

Gustavo Santana, president of Puertos del Estado, recalled the potential of ports in fostering innovation in multiple areas, underlining that “buildings such as BlueTechPort position ports as catalysts for the blue economy.” In turn, Carles Anglada, General Manager of WTCB, highlighted the value of the new BlueTechPort as “a meeting place for generating collaborations and synergies”, enriching an innovative ecosystem in full growth which already acts as a magnet for talent.

Sílvia Paneque, regional Minister for Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition of the Catalan Government, recalled that “the new BlueTechPort is built upon a legacy of our territory and scientific knowledge making it both trustworthy and secure”, underscoring the role of the Catalan Council for Maritime Co-management, with representatives of the Catalan Government, marine research centres, economic sectors of the blue economy and civil society organisations, which “has performed exemplary work in recent years and now also has the satisfaction of having this new centre of innovation in blue economy technology in Barcelona.”

Finally, Jaume Collboni, Mayor of Barcelona, highlighted that “BlueTechPort is an initiative that is fully intertwined with the city’s economic diversification strategy and the flagship project of Barcelona’s commitment to the Blue Economy. Repurposing abandoned areas using technology and the ability to attract talent through this project linked to the port sector will enable us to guarantee that the people of Barcelona can remain in the city by taking up new job opportunities”.