The Aula Mar Mediterráneo Foundation has organized the First International Blue Economy Meeting held in this province and which took place last week in Rincón de la Victoria
The State delegate in the Free Trade Zone of Cádiz, Fran González, has highlighted in Malaga the commitment of the Cádiz Consortium to the Blue Economy within the framework of the new industry 4.0 model whose central axis revolves around the highly innovative incubator Incubazul, which houses initiatives linked to the sector. This was stated by the head of the Cádiz Institution during his speech at the First International Blue Economy Meeting held in this province and which took place at the end of last week in Rincón de la Victoria.
This international forum, organized by the Aula del Mar Mediterráneo Foundation with the collaboration of the Provincial Council of Malaga and the Rincón de la Victoria City Council and the support of the “la Caixa” Foundation, Hidralia and Turismo Costa del Sol through the Senda project Azul, has brought together more than 50 participants from public institutions and private companies at the national and international level.
The delegate of the Cádiz Free Trade Zone has participated in one of the round tables of the program, specifically the one related to the “Economic and Financial Sector in the Blue Economy”, which has been moderated by the commercial director of Caixabank Andalucía Oriental, Gerardo Cuartero. Fran González shared the discussion with Maria José Gálvez, member of the board of directors of SPAINSIF; Ricardo Pedraz, Sustainable Finance consultant at INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL ANALYSTS; María Folqué, Head of Sustainability at FUNDS PEOPLE; and Tomás Pérez, director of Alborán Plus.
Fran González has expressed satisfaction with the role of the incubator of the Free Trade Zone of Cádiz, Incubazul, in the meeting since the project, its acceleration plan and the startups hosted have aroused enormous interest and has been mentioned as an example for the use of the Blue Economy as an engine of development. Furthermore, the incubator's activity is gaining resonance in the Blue Economy forums, where it is required to disseminate the project.
The representative of the Cádiz Consortium has pointed out that in Cádiz there is already a powerful ecosystem linked to Incubazul and the Blue Economy and has stated that "in the Free Trade Zone of Cádiz we are strongly betting on the innovative and sustainable industry, respectful of the environment and committed to future generations, with a central axis based on the Blue Economy.”
Fran González added that "our responsibility with the environment and our commitment to the Blue Economy with Incubazul makes us look back at activities strongly linked to our history, such as almadraba fishing, salt mines and aquaculture."
The objective of the meeting is that this forum serves to develop new production models based on the sea and its resources, which are sustainable and profitable, in addition to positioning Malaga and Andalusia as an outstanding enclave for the development of this type of economy.
As a culmination of the meeting, the municipality of Rincón de la Victoria has signed an alliance with the Alicante municipality of El Campello. The mayors of both destinations, Francisco Salado, and Juan José Berenguer, have sealed this link, laying the foundations to begin a process of cooperation and exchange of experiences that deepens the knowledge of the seas and oceans, their conservation and restoration. The document lays the foundations to begin a process of cooperation and exchange of experiences to deepen the knowledge of the seas and oceans, their conservation and restoration, between both destinations. The First Specific Declaration on the Blue Economy has also been drafted and will be presented to the IUCN World Congress to be held in Abu Dhabi in October 2025.
