Vigo Free Trade Zone Participates in Cádiz at the Navalia Meeting 2025-Blue Zone Forum, Focusing on Industry 4.0 and Blue Economy

Inés González, General Director of the Vigo Free Trade Zone, is set to take part tomorrow in a round table discussion to highlight the most innovative projects being developed by the Consortium

Led by David Regades, State Delegate for the Vigo Free Trade Zone, a delegation from the Consortium is attending the Navalia Meeting 2025-Blue Zone Forum in Cádiz, held at the city’s Conference Centre, with over a thousand participants in attendance.

Industry 4.0 in shipbuilding sector and importance of the blue economy are the two main topics of this event, which brings together companies, institutions, experts, and speakers with a strong international presence.

As part of its collaboration with Cádiz Free Trade Zone and Navalia — of whose Executive Committee the Vigo Free Trade Zone is a member — and in line with its objective of supporting productive sectors, the Vigo Consortium has played an active role in organising this networking event, which is held in odd-numbered years when the Fair does not take place.

In fact, the Meeting was launched in 2021 in Vigo requested by exhibitors, with the aim of strengthening alliances, sharing knowledge, and generating business opportunities. This year, innovation, sustainability and entrepreneurship are the key themes of the event, which analyses challenges and opportunities in a global context and, in the case of shipbuilding, highlights the strong times the sector is currently experiencing.

State Delegate David Regades emphasised the collaboration with the Cádiz Free Trade Zone, “a city with which Vigo shares many and common things and synergies, along with the rest of Spain’s Free Trade Zones. This cooperation makes it possible to organise events such as this one, where we also accompany Navalia to support and strengthen the trade fair. That’s what public administrations must do.”

The State Delegate stressed that ’we are a lever for the economy, industry and employment, we are innovation, and we are technology. Our job is to attract large projects, and in the shipbuilding sector we have very important companies in Vigo that are setting an example in facing the challenges of Industry 4.0, such as digital and energy transformation, environmental sustainability, and the training and upskilling of their workforces."

Regades pointed out the shipyards in the Vigo estuary are also experiencing a great moment: “They are national leaders in the sector and currently top the order book. This is being achieved through highly specialised work, incorporating advanced technology and high added value — all of which generates not just employment, but quality employment that enables us to compete with the world’s major powers.

“Many people build ships,” he added, “but no one builds them better. We have outstanding professionals across both the public and private sectors, as well as leading figures in research, fishing, and defence.”