The ports of Avilés and Gijón, key to the productive structure of Asturias, will work jointly on an economic impact study that offers a comprehensive vision of the state port system of Asturias and its contribution to the regional economy. The intention is to put the study out to tender before the end of the year, with the idea of knowing its contents by mid-2026.
The president of the port of Avilés, Santiago Rodríguez Vega, and the president of the port of Gijón, Nieves Roqueñí, have jointly presented this economic impact study, which will be carried out in accordance with the common methodology of Puertos del Estado.
The justification for this collaboration between theoretical competitors is that “although we are different ports, we are linked to the same industries and the same industrial capacity, present and future, that Asturias has” because both ports “are immersed in processes of promoting new industrial activities linked to port activity.”
The two Asturian ports channel steel exports, project cargo, chemicals, wind components and for power plants, as well as imports of raw materials and industrial bulk goods. Santiago Rodríguez Vega said that the study “is an opportunity for both ports, each with our own characteristics,” which will allow determining the structural dependence of the industrial fabric on the ports and “justify port investments based on empirical evidence.”
In a context where ports assume a “relevant role” as poles of innovation, sustainability and transformation, with a special impact on economic and territorial development in our respective areas of influence, this study is “pertinent,” according to Rodríguez Vega.
For her part, Nieves Roqueñí states that a study of this type “reinforces the position of the two ports in strategic planning and the attraction of investments, and will improve the public perception of both as an economic engine.” She acknowledged that “right now we do not have updated studies,” because the last study dates back to 2004.
The presidents of the two facilities emphasize that the ports “are critical infrastructures that drive industrial growth, logistical competitiveness and territorial cohesion, and are configured as the main engine of the Blue Economy.”
Regarding this blue economy in the port sector, Rodríguez Vega said that “the term port activity has shifted to a concept which is blue economy, which encompasses everything related to industrial activity, bulk cargo, fishing activity, cruises, taking care of our marinas, protecting the environment, developing port-city projects, working on digital issues… All of this is part of our strategy and is part of promoting a blue economy closely linked to maritime activity.”
Nieves Roqueñi also spoke about the development of “joint training programs” aimed at the staff of both ports, related to innovation, digitalization and the application of artificial intelligence, “within a framework of a blue economy.” Furthermore, the president of the Gijón port emphasized other areas of collaboration between both port authorities, such as the presence of the Asturian ports at international trade fairs, which “will allow us to have a presence in more forums” attended by companies and shippers from all over the world. This collaboration “would strengthen us and give us more visibility and greater international presence.”
