Innovation in Spanish Port Sector

Abstract

Globalization has generated a dramatic increase in freight traffic worldwide and, in particular, in maritime transport. In response to increasing load capacity requirements, there has been a steady increase in the size of the international merchant fleet, accompanied by a parallel increase in new requirements for ports. This has raised the need for ports to innovate.
If countries want to be competitive, they need a port system that allows them to be part of international supply chains. In addition, each individual port must be competitive with the other ports operating within their national port system. Therefore, competitiveness and competition must be understood from two perspectives, international and national.
This paper analyzes the perception of Spanish Port Authorities on innovation in the national port system. The goal is to establish the innovative activities that are perceived as the most important, those in which there has been an increased effort, and the obstacles facing innovation. These factors have been assessed using the Rasch methodology.