The Port of Barcelona Strategy

The students of the Master of Science in International Business, jointly offered by UPF-BSM and ESCI-UPF, and the students of the Bachelor’s Degree in International Business and Marketing, attended the masterclass of Santiago Garcia-Milà, Deputy Director General of Port of Barcelona.

Garcia-Milà has over 25 years of experience in the port and logistics industry and has been the chairman of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) between 2012 and 2016. He also held the presidency of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) from 2015 to 2021.

The Port of Barcelona is the main logistic hub in the Mediterranean and one of the most diversified ports in the world. Its mission is to generate value and prosperity within its area of influence as well as provide infrastructure and service to businesses that operate there.

Garcia-Milà shared with the students how ports used to work, measuring themselves only by physical units like passengers or tons or TEUs, and how they work now: taking into account added value units and measuring their impact on the economy, society, and environment.

He also explained the evolution of the cargo flows since the end of 20th century and the reasons for these changes. Later on, he underlined the importance of international trade within Asia and some of the future challenges –the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative– and possibilities of global maritime trade –the likely opening of the Artic route.

At the end of the session, the Deputy Director General summarized some of the main challenges that Port of Barcelona will face in the future, which are part of its strategic plan for 2021-2025: the decarbonization, the digital transformation,  the consolidation as a leading port in the Mediterranean and, last but not least, the integration with the city and the region.

Those who could not attend the masterclass can watch it on this link.