Fernández Vara highlights the logistical potential of Extremadura at SIL Barcelona

• More than 100 exclusive world novelties will be presented during these days in Hall 8 of the Plaza España exhibition center at Fira de Barcelona.

• The Círculo Networking division and the strong technological presence are some of the most innovative aspects to be found at this 22nd edition of the logistics fair, which is a leading event in the sector in Spain, the Mediterranean and Latin America.

• The Nit de la Logística will start at 20h and will reward the best start-up among the nearly 150 emerging companies that have submitted their candidacy.

Barcelona, June 1st,  2022 – The International Logistics Exhibition (SIL) in Barcelona, one of the largest fairs in the world for Logistics, Transport, Intralogistics, and Supply Chain, and a leading event in the sector in Spain, the Mediterranean and Latin America, has started its second day of activity with the intervention of the president of the Junta de Extremadura, Guillermo Fernández Vara, who has highlighted the characteristics and advantages the region has to offer regarding logistics planning: “We are becoming the connecting point between the capital of Portugal, the capital of Spain and Barcelona. In addition, we have been able to take advantage of the acceleration of the energy transition that is taking place in Europe. Currently 26% of all sustainable energy development in Spain is located in our autonomous community, in addition to having the largest water reserve in the country and a large availability of mineral resources”. Fernández Vara has also highlighted the opportunity for “the industries to be established in the area to use all the resources we have to attract people to develop their life plans in our community, combating the empty Spain”.

SIL 2022 presents exclusive innovations and redoubles its commitment to networking

The SIL 2022, organized by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB), returns with more than 650 participating companies and more than 100 novelties that are presented exclusively worldwide. Eco-friendly transport fleets and vehicles designed to increase last mile sustainability; a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence voice assistant for drivers of light and heavy vehicles to move towards safe and ecological driving, as well as a port and market intelligence tool to search, analyze, compare and monitor port congestion around the world, are some of the most innovative proposals that have been exclusively unveiled worldwide by exhibitors at this 22nd SIL edition.

One of the main novelties presented at the event is the Networking Circle, which this year is divided into three categories: the Logistics Circle, which brings together the main logistics and Supply Chain directors; the Retail Circle, which brings together the most outstanding international experts, and the Start-ups Circle, where entrepreneurs and start-ups in the sector have the opportunity to present their innovative projects to leading industrial companies and potential investors. More than 100 decision-makers in the industry such as Bon Area, BS Electrodomesticos, Coca-Cola, Consum, Decathlon, Mercadona, Pepsico, Carburos Metálicos, Roche Diagnostics, Calidad Pascual or Cosmewax, among others, have already participated in the Networking Circle.

Featured Sessions

Once again, Hall 8 of Fira Barcelona’s Montjuic-Plaza España venue has brought together international experts from the logistics and e-commerce sectors to present the innovations and trends in an increasingly digitized and sustainable sector, as well as to address the challenges that companies are facing at present and in the future.

This morning, CIMALSA’s presentation  on the Logistics Observatory took place in the Agora space, during which the most characteristic and innovative indicators of 2021 in the post-COVID era in the sector were analyzed. Likewise, the ICIL Corporate,  a Supply Chain transformation program, was also presented, with Oriol Laporte, Business Development of the company, and Ignacio Chaparro, Digital Business Manager of ICIL, as speakers who shared their first-hand knowledge, expertise and data with the audience and were also in charge of leading the session. For its part, the Port of Tarragona discussed digitalization and resilience in logistics in a session by Isidre Gavín, secretary of Territori i Mobilitat of the Department of the Vice-Presidency and Digital Policies and Territori of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

This afternoon, at 4pm, the session of regional councilors will take place to address the management of the Next Generation funds to boost the logistics sector.  And in the evening, the Nit de la Logística will be held, where four prizes will be awarded, including the best start-up.

10 finalist companies aspire to the best start-up award

The Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona and the Salle Technova have highlighted 10 emerging companies among the 150 proposals that have submitted their candidacy in the Start-up Innovation Hub, for their potential and innovative character.

The selected initiatives are Yopidoya, Sense, Feeder, BeChained, Alterity, Estoko, ClearQuote, Zeemcoin, Gandolapp and Usyncro. All of them will compete for the best start-up award that will be presented at the Nit de la Logística, which will take place tonight at 8 pm. The selected projects will also be published in the SIL Barcelona start-up directory as the best emerging start-ups of the year.

Pere Navarro, special delegate of the State in the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona wanted to highlight that “the high level of participation of exhibitors and start-ups, as well as the strong international presence reaffirm once again the potential of SIL as a landmark event for the sector in Spain, Europe and Latin America, and at the CZFB we are especially excited about this return after two years of absence due to the socio-health context”.