Nine port innovation hubs meet in Valencia to set 2027 agenda

Nine of the Port Innovators Network's eleven hubs gathered in Valencia this month, the largest meeting in the network's history, to review 2026 activity and set priorities for 2027. The Port Authority of Valencia hosted the annual strategic session, which centred on accelerating open innovation and creating commercial opportunities for startups, ports, operators and industry companies.

The meeting drew representatives from every corner of the network's membership. Founding members homePORT (Port of Hamburg), The PIER (Port of Halifax) and Opentop (Valenciaport) attended, alongside delegates from the ports of San Diego, Esbjerg, Bahía Blanca and Tyne, and thinkport VIENNA. NIMO (Northern Ireland Maritime & Offshore) took part for the first time since joining the network, bringing the Valencia gathering to nine hubs out of PIN's total of eleven.

What did the 2026 review cover?

Members reviewed activities undertaken throughout 2026 and welcomed two developments: the network's expansion and stronger collaboration between hubs through joint initiatives. The 2027 agenda builds on that base, with participants exploring new activities aimed at three goals: accelerating open innovation, widening opportunities for startups and their port-side counterparts, and strengthening PIN's international profile.

Juan Manuel Díez, head of innovation at the Port Authority of Valencia, framed the choice of venue as deliberate. "It is an honour and a pleasure for us to host this meeting once again," he said. "Valencia has established itself as a natural meeting point for international port innovation."

Díez added that the gathering demonstrated the region's commitment to global collaboration, while giving members two concrete opportunities: participation in the Port Entrepreneurship International Congress and a visit to the Valenciaport sandbox, the network's testing environment for port technology.

Why does the network matter for startups and ports?

Salvador Furió, director of innovation and cluster development at Fundación Valenciaport, pointed to the network's growing reach as the core of its value. "It is very rewarding to see how the international PIN network has grown and how collaboration between the different innovation hubs keeps getting stronger, with Opentop playing a leading role," he said.

Furió also emphasised the commercial logic behind the network: helping startups expand into new markets through the connections between participating ports. For early-stage companies in port technology, that means a single relationship with one hub can open doors in Hamburg, Halifax, San Diego, Esbjerg, Bahía Blanca, Tyne, Vienna, Northern Ireland and Valencia.

PIN was founded by homePORT, Opentop and The PIER with a broad mandate: boosting innovation across the global port system by connecting startups, businesses, researchers, universities and investors so they can share knowledge, experience and opportunities. The model treats ports not as isolated infrastructure operators but as nodes in a shared innovation pipeline.

What comes next?

The Valencia meeting closed with members aligned on the 2027 programme, which will focus on deepening the joint initiatives piloted during 2026 and extending the network's visibility internationally. With nine of eleven hubs now actively participating and NIMO's entry widening the network's geographic spread into Northern Ireland's maritime and offshore sector, PIN enters 2027 with its broadest membership base to date and a mandate to convert collaboration into startup market access across the participating ports.