Continuing with the “Innovation Agent Interviews” initiative with the aim of inspiring the ecosystem to continue innovating based on the experiences of its innovation agents, we share the case of Marina Almazán, who works in the area of Communication and Marketing at DP World Tarragona and is one of our innovation agents who has been characterised by her entrepreneurial spirit. In addition to her activity at DP World, Marina has developed a startup which we also talked about.
Good morning Marina. First of all we would like to thank you for your willingness to do this interview and congratulate you on the development of your projects.
Explain to us, what is innovation for you and what led you to become an entrepreneur?
For me, innovation is not only about creating new things, but also about the ability to take advantage of existing resources and adapt them to meet the current needs of society.
I think entrepreneurship is something that comes to everyone as a matter and I’m sure we’ve all done it unconsciously at one time or another. My introduction to the world of entrepreneurship was at university; a professor was able to transmit the passion she felt for her work as an entrepreneur and I wanted to know more. So, my final year project was an entrepreneurial project that I would soon bring to reality and that would be my “passport” to participate in an entrepreneurship competition and win a trip to Silicon Valley. Since then, I have founded my first company and this year 2021 I have embarked on my second.
How did you join Som-Inn Port?
Apart from working in my own startup, I work with DP World, a company that belongs to the ecosystem of the Port of Tarragona.
How is your experience as an innovation agent in the open innovation cycle of Som-Inn Port? What have you learned so far?
I have always believed that it is a space in which we share experiences, meeting people who work, both in sectors like yours and in others that are totally different and thinking about joint proposals that improve the environment around us, seems the most interesting thing to do.
I have learned concepts from other sectors, I have had the opportunity to meet companies in the sector, I have been able to visit spaces such as the Mobile World Congress and 4YFN. I have learned Design Thinking tools that help to organise ideas and also to work with a team of very diverse people that make the experience more enriching.
Would you recommend to participate in Som-Inn Port activities? Why?
Absolutely. I recommend dedicating time to participate in the activities of Som-Inn Port. I think that all the companies have to value the fact that this is a learning experience that can be taken inside the company and that brings a lot of value.
Tell us about some of the innovation projects that you would like to highlight among those developed by DP World.
DP World Tarragona is the first terminal in Europe that has different elements on its website to those that can be found on the website of a container terminal. Among them, the most outstanding are: an online shop where our customers can request their VGM certificates for their containers and a savings and CO2 calculator for the transport of containers. We have been an example and inspiration for many companies in Europe and we hope to be an example and inspiration for the different DP World terminals around the world because, fortunately, it is a company that is committed to innovation.
As an entrepreneur, apart from what you have explained above, what does the start-up you have created consist of?
The startup is called “Virtuam360” and is a communication and digital transformation company. It started because my brother works at the Nàstic Museum in Tarragona, and during the pandemic he was stuck because he couldn’t do tours as he usually did. My partner and I thought of a solution so that my brother could do his job, and we decided to create a virtual tour with existing technology that could be adapted to what we needed.
The result was very good and other entities asked us for it as well. That’s why we are making virtual tours that, as you can imagine, are like having a Google maps of any interior space. This tour is accompanied by interactive points of interest that can be images, videos, links or other elements.
We also make promotional videos, aerial videos with drones, advice and consultancy on communication, marketing and digital transformation. We have worked on a campaign about Down’s Syndrome for an organisation; a project with the URV of Tarragona; also with the Xarxa Santa Tecla, the health and social network of Tarragona; with the startup OKticket for expenses management, the Casa de la Festa of Tarragona City; with a chemical company and with some schools.
We love challenges and want to listen to the needs that may arise.
What do you think is the innovative component of Virtuam 360?
We have taken advantage of a technology that was already created to adapt it to the new needs that arise from the pandemic and that are here to stay. We try to give a point of creativity to what we do and, above all, the versatility to adapt ourselves to be able to respond to any client’s needs.
Which do you think are the challenges of port ecosystems from your experience?
I believe that the port world is a world of opportunities and has many challenges that can be met in many areas: in communication, in training, in security…
My vision is that it has a lot of potential because technologically it has a lot of room for improvement. I am sure that between the ecosystem that we form, initiatives like Som-Inn Port and the talent of our province, we will be able to achieve many of these challenges.
Marina, thank you very much for this interview! We hope that your projects continue to grow as your entrepreneurial spirit does.
Som-Inn!
1st july 2021
