MedaLogistics Week Barcelona 2024 will explore new business opportunities in the logistics sector in Europe, Asia and Africa

• The 20th edition of Mediterranean Logistics & Transport Week will be held on 5 and 6 June within the framework of SIL Barcelona with the dual objective of linking Europe, Asia and Africa through the Mediterranean and logistics.

• Experts and industry players from three continents will analyse the challenges of the present and future of logistics and transport, focusing on digitalisation, sustainability, new business opportunities and gender equality.

• MedaLogistics consolidates itself as the benchmark logistics summit in the Mediterranean and as the main platform for reflection, connection and investment for the global logistics community.

Barcelona, May 2, 2024.– Countdown to the Mediterranean Logistics & Transport Week 2024 -MedaLogistics Week Barcelona-, the leading logistics summit in Europe, Asia and Africa organized once again this year by the Association of Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce (ASCAME) and the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB). This year it will be held on 5 and 6 June in a special edition on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the summit, coinciding once again with SIL Barcelona, the leading trade fair in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic for logistics, transport, intralogistics and supply chain organised by the CZFB.

The main focus of this very special edition will be to unite the three continents – Europe, Asia and Africa – through the Mediterranean and logistics. Experts and agents from the sector from the three continents will analyse the challenges of the present and future of logistics and transport in the Mediterranean at MedaLogistics Week Barcelona, seeking new ways of cooperation to explore new business opportunities and face challenges of the utmost relevance and urgency, such as sustainability, digitalisation, diversification of the supply chain or investment in new infrastructures.

ASCAME insists that this summit is not only a space for debate where the current challenges of the sector in the Mediterranean are analysed, but also a platform to explore emerging opportunities and forge business connections that will drive the evolution of the industry in the coming years. “This edition will not be just another one, but a turning point to establish a new roadmap for the coming years in the logistics and transport sector and to ensure that all the agents of the industry once again make the Mediterranean the hub of trade and investment that unites the three continents through logistics”,  says Anwar Zibaoui, General Coordinator of ASCAME. He adds: “For two decades, MedaLogistics Week Barcelona has become the most important logistics summit in the Mediterranean, the platform for reflection, connection and investment for the logistics community. But now we must take a step forward by enhancing cross-border collaboration in the region to improve logistics infrastructure on three continents and transport connections.”

Zibaoui emphasises “the necessary cooperation to jointly advance projects such as Mediterranean logistics corridors and ports, as well as initiatives to optimise supply chains and reduce the carbon footprint”. 

Broad business and institutional representation

This year’s edition will bring together the most prominent business and institutional leaders in the industry in the Mediterranean, with all sectors represented: logistics, maritime, transport and infrastructure. It will be attended by Ahmed El Wakil and Anwar Zibaoui, President and General Coordinator respectively of ASCAME, Josep Santacreu, President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Pere Navarro, Special Delegate of the CZFB and Mohamed Abdeljalil, Minister of Transport and Logistics of Morocco. Among the invited business leaders are Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayen, President & CEO of DP World, Juergen Raizner, Founder of Steinbeis, Aziz Rabbah, Former Minister of Transport and Logistics of Morocco, Mansour Alturki, Deputy Minister of Planning and Logistics of Saudi Arabia, Blanca Sorigué, Director General of the CZFB, María Helena de Felipe Lehtonen, President of the Association of Organizations of Women Entrepreneurs of the Mediterranean (AFAEMME),  Roger Abinyana, Director General of the International Logistics Department of Logistics at Heriot-Watt University Dubai. In total, 40 speakers and more than 350 companies and organizations from the sector from the Mediterranean and other regions will participate in this edition.

Turning Threats into Opportunities

 The sessions of MedaLogistics Week Barcelona will address the major challenges currently faced by logistics companies on the three continents. One of the most important is the digital transformation of transport and logistics, a topic that will be discussed in different sessions from different perspectives: optimisation of processes in the supply chain – to reduce time and costs and to anticipate, prepare for and adapt to possible disruptions – impact of digital management systems and emerging technologies – such as AI or data analysis,  Regional connectivity (integrated logistics), smart operations (operations measurement) and planning and strategy. In the same way, several logistics start-ups in the Mediterranean that are making a difference will share their success stories and the technologies they use to streamline supply chains and facilitate the arrival of their products to the market.

The sustainable transition in the sector will be the other major backbone of MedaLogistics Week Barcelona 2024. Currently, transport and logistics in general are one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The future of the sector lies in the implementation of clean technologies, the optimisation and diversification of routes in the land transport of goods, greater investment in ecological vehicles, renewable energies and more sustainable alternative fuels such as NG or hydrogen. In addition to addressing all these issues in this year’s edition, the example of the transformation of Barcelona in recent years into a Mediterranean hub for trade and logistics and the decisive contribution that the CZFB has made to this will also be given.

On the other hand, the business opportunities that may arise in the Mediterranean logistics sector as a result of greater cooperation between the countries of the three continents will be explored. One of the main questions to be raised will be how to maximise the influence of Mediterranean corridors on a global scale. Investment in infrastructure, private sector involvement and complementarity of networks are crucial for the development of the sector. Not only will the impact on the Mediterranean corridors sector be analysed, but also the impact of the new logistics hubs that have emerged in the Mediterranean region and the ports that function as clusters. In addition, there will be a specific session on the opportunities represented by the logistics sector in Saudi Arabia, a country ready to revolutionize the logistics industry and become a key player in the coming years. In addition, there will be a B2B Business Meeting for companies in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa) that will bring together logistics providers, freight forwarders, transport companies, supply chain experts, manufacturers, retailers and other players in the sector.

Finally, the issue of gender equality in the logistics sector will be addressed. The persistent perception of logistics as a predominantly male field makes it difficult for women to enter this field. This edition will look at the current situation and how to move towards greater gender diversity in future supply chain operations.