The Navalia 2026 Innovation Zone expands with more space and more companies, in collaboration with the Vigo Free Trade Zone (VFTZ)
The space will double its surface area this year and increase the presence of startups, professionals, and entrepreneurs from the shipbuilding sector.
The Innovation Zone of the tenth edition of Navalia 2026, promoted by the Vigo Free Trade Zone Consortium, will host at IFEVI from May 19 to 21 a greater number of companies, startups, and professionals presenting their most innovative ideas for the naval and maritime industry. A total of 24 projects have already confirmed their participation, representing a 50% increase compared to 2024, when it was held for the first time at Navalia, also in collaboration with the Consortium.
This was announced by the State Delegate of the VFTZ, David Regades, during the presentation of the event at the Areal headquarters, alongside Vigo’s mayor Abel Caballero; Navalia’s president and director, José García Costas and Javier Arnau; the Spanish Association of Naval and Ocean Engineers’s (SANOE) regional dean in Galicia,Beatriz Spuch; and the head of Economic Promotion at the Free Trade Zone, Rosa Eguizábal. Regades also confirmed that the Innovation Zone will double its surface area, occupying nearly 400 square meters, which will also be free of charge for entrepreneurs. He thanked AINE for its role in attracting companies, as it will manage the Innovation Zone, as well as Navalia itself, Spain’s leading maritime trade fair and one of the top three in Southern Europe.
David Regades highlighted that “our goal with this space is to foster collaboration for technical and scientific innovation and for the success of companies and entrepreneurs that drive advances in naval and maritime technology, as well as to help projects attract investors.” He added that “in 2024 the Innovation Zone was a success and we wanted it to continue growing.” He also emphasized the “excellent moment of the shipbuilding sector in the Vigo estuary, which leads nationally in activity, order book volume, specialization, and diversification,” describing Navalia as “the showcase of Vigo’s shipbuilding model, with companies that set an example in innovation and technology and in the challenges of Industry 4.0, with highly specialized, high value-added work that generates quality employment and allows competition with the world’s leading powers.”
SANOE’s regional dean, Beatriz Spuch, highlighted the importance of innovation in naval engineering as a way to “increase competitiveness, both in shipbuilding and throughout the operational life of vessels,” as well as in marine renewable energy and all fields related to the blue economy. She presented the selected projects for the 2026 Innovation Zone, mentioning a wide variety of themes including drones, energy harvesting systems, alternative fuels, autonomous vessels, route
optimization and management systems, digital twins and Industry 4.0 technologies, 3D rendering, and specialized technical support for the naval sector using realistic imaging, among others.
Rosa Eguizábal, head of Economic Promotion at the Vigo Free Trade Zone Consortium, highlighted the organization’s experience in entrepreneurship support through programs such as ViaGalicia, ViaExterior, BFA, and StartTIC, which are successful examples of startup acceleration. She emphasized that the Innovation Zone at Navalia will offer startups a showcase for attracting investment and accessing new markets, becoming for a few days the epicenter of the shipbuilding industry, bringing together major corporations and specialized investors.
Navalia’s president, José García Costas, thanked the Free Trade Zone for its involvement in the initiative, highlighting the “sensitivity” shown by both Abel Caballero and David Regades toward the sector and especially toward the origin of ideas and future projects. He stressed the importance of fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem within the naval industry, noting that “our industry is undergoing a profound transformation that goes far beyond shipbuilding,” where innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology play a decisive role. He also emphasized the contribution of startups, technology centers, and new companies in providing solutions that modernize processes and improve competitiveness across the entire value chain.
Finally, Vigo’s mayor Abel Caballero stated that Navalia “is a business adventure that has become a leading trade fair in Europe.” He recalled its origins more than two decades ago with José García Costas leading a group of entrepreneurs and investors who saw the need for a major maritime event, achieved through coordination, unity, and leadership from different local stakeholders. Caballero praised the fair’s move toward annual frequency, the inclusion of the Innovation Zone as a space for young talent, and the Vigo Free Trade Zone Consortium’s strategic vision in identifying key industrial trends.