During the 2024 edition of the Smart Ports Piers of the Future (an event organized by the Port of Barcelona (Spain) as part of the Smart City World Expo), the Director the Agenda 2030 by AIVP, Dr. José M P Sánchez, moderated the high-level discussion entitled “Ports open to the city: How Smart Ports bring value to BCN & L.A”. The speakers of this debate were Erick Martell, Director of Economic Infrastructure, Ports Office of Mayor Karen Bass, City of Los Angeles (USA), Michael DiBernardo, Deputy Executive Director & Marketing and Customer Relations, Port of Los Angeles, Emma Cobos, Director of Innovation and Business Strategy, Port of Barcelona, and Olga Cerezo, Director of the Port Olímpic of Barcelona. In the session, the panelists covered several key issues for the port-city relationship, including the difference in governance models, the role of ports as innovation engines, the importance of citizen engagement in waterfront interventions, the opportunity Blue Economy generates, and the natural role of ports leading this sector and how megaevents, such as the America’s Cup, can accelerate projects and investments. The Smart City World Expo is one the main events focusing on urban innovation and smart technologies gathering more than 25 000 participants in the Catalan capital. The Smart Port Piers of the Future brings major ports and cities, such as LA, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Long Beach, Busan, and Quebec, among others to discuss new innovative solutions addressing key challenges for ports.
