“Som-Inn Port”, the Port of Tarragona’s Innovation Ecosystem: we’re setting sail!

The Tarragona Port Authority has led the creation of Som-Inn Port, the Port of Tarragona’s innovation ecosystem, whose main goal is to promote the collaboration between the agents of the Port of Tarragona’s port community and other external stakeholders, in order to innovate processes, services and business models in the Port of Tarragona.

This initiative fits into the international context of exponential change, called the Innovation Society by Induct, a company specialising in open innovation and one of the contributors to the creation of this ecosystem, characterised among others for the increasingly rapid incorporation and adoption of new technologies. This means that change in all industries is not only a constant, but rather something that is growing, and doing so at an even more exponential rate.

Open innovation as a solution to the challenges faced by port management

This new reality evidently affects port management as well, which according to experts, will face a series of challenges over the coming years. These include:

Improving the security and efficiency of the logistics chain
Adapting to technological change
Establishing ports that are safer, greener and more sustainable
Improving the connection between ports and their hinterland

In this context, some international ports have already taken the first steps towards incorporating innovation into their strategic management framework, with the philosophy of open innovation, i.e. boosting innovation by taking advantage of both internal and external know-how, in order to increase efficiency and improve the results of the innovation process. This is in accordance with the definition given in 2003 by the father of the concept of open innovation, Mr. Henry Chesbrough, a member of Induct’s Advisory Committee.

Among others, and according to a Benchmark analysis that will soon be published in Som-Inn Port, 8 ports have been identified nationally and internationally that have chosen to develop open innovation initiatives in order to deal with these future port challenges.

Som-Inn Port, the Port of Tarragona’s innovation ecosystem, sets sail:

Following the line taken by other international ports, the Port of Tarragona has developed its own open innovation initiative proposal, adapted to its own circumstances and strengths.

Hence the creation of Som-Inn Port, which is committed to fostering the relationship between all agents of the port community, so that together they can:

Jointly explore and investigate new key opportunities for innovation that enable the Port of Tarragona to stand out from the rest.
Identify common innovation challenges (of all kinds, both technological and others)
Create multidisciplinary teams to solve these challenges, by employing flexible methodologies such as Design Thinking and Design Sprint.
Train the agents of the port community in innovation, in order to spread the culture of innovation among all the agents involved.
Generate opportunities for networking between the variety of agents involved, thereby multiplying the synergies and opportunities for innovation.

Som-Inn Port: an initiative that believes in the power of the community

Since its conception, Som-Inn Port has believed in the integration and collaboration between all the agents involved. It seeks to add synergies, and by means of these, to multiply the capacities for innovation.

For this reason, among others, Som-Inn Port:

Promotes the role of the agents of innovation from the member organisations of the community, as figures who will take charge of coordinating the transfer of know-how from Som-Inn Port to the participating organisations.
Will base its efforts on creating multidisciplinary innovation cells, consisting in all cases of innovation agents from different organisations in the community.
Will be governed by multi-agent bodies, such as the Agora, and the Innovation Commission.
Will make a digital platform available to the community that will allow the innovation cycle to be coordinated on line. This platform will be the perfect complement to the physical management of the innovation cycle, and will be based on holding:
- Innovation workshops for moving from the challenges of innovation to prototype solutions
- Meetings of the Agora
- Training meetings
- Networking sessions

Welcome to Som-Inn Port. If you believe in collaboration as a vector for innovation, we’re waiting to hear from you!

In keeping with Som-Inn Port’s open approach, any entity interested in participating will be able to do so, subject to approval by the Innovation Commission. You will just need to request participation by using the contact form available on the ecosystem’s website.

If you believe in innovation, and would like to innovate in processes, services and business models with members of Som-Inn Port, we’re waiting to hear from you!