Valenciaport Unveils Sandbox at PEIC'26 Opening in Valencia

The Port Authority of Valencia presented the Valenciaport Sandbox during the opening of the fourth edition of the Port Entrepreneurship International Congress (PEIC'26), held at the City of Arts and Sciences. The Sandbox is a tool that allows innovative solutions to be tested in a real port environment, with the aim of speeding up the journey from innovation to effective implementation.

Mar Chao, chairwoman of the Port Authority of Valencia, opened the event alongside the general director of Fundación Valenciaport, Antonio Torregrosa, and highlighted innovation as an essential requirement for continued growth and for remaining competitive, sustainable and resilient. Chao explained that the Sandbox was created with the simple aim of allowing innovative solutions to be tested in a real port environment, and expressed her hope that initiatives like this one will make the path from innovation to implementation faster, more efficient and more valuable for all those involved.

The gathering brought together representatives from ports, startups, logistics corporations and investors from around the world, cementing its position as an international meeting point for port innovation and entrepreneurship. Antonio Torregrosa underscored the strong interest shown by ports, major companies, investors and innovation leaders in taking part in the event, which in his view reflects an increasingly broad international community that views open innovation as a key driver for the future of the maritime and logistics sectors.

The opening panel, titled “Opening Perspectives: Enabling Port Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” marked the start of this fourth edition of the congress, which brought together startups from 12 different countries in Valencia. Over the event's two days, a total of 20 startups are expected to take the stage, alongside five selected to compete in the VDS pitch competition, others that will showcase their technologies in the new demo area by the lake at the City of Arts and Sciences, and 13 taking part in the PEIC Resilience Forum, bringing the total to more than 45 selected startups.

The 2026 edition of the congress, held at the City of Arts and Sciences, introduces new features such as “PEIC Demo on the Lake” and a new, larger Agora Stage, adding to the spirit of previous editions of connecting startups, international port companies, institutions and specialized venture capital investors. According to Ports Europe, the Port Authority of Valencia itself confirmed the presentation of the Sandbox on October 21, 2026, as part of the congress opening.