Summary
Purpose of the Contest
The Innovation Awards “Algeciras BrainPort” to the best Master’s Thesis (TFM), sponsored by the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (hereinafter, APBA) and the Technological Campus Foundation of Algeciras (hereinafter, FCTA), aim to recognize the talent and contribution to the port of innovative initiatives, carried out by university students and researchers, and which deal with the different aspects related to the business activity of the Port of Algeciras Bay.
Innovation forms part of the DNA of the APBA, where it is actively working to systematise innovation and create an innovative culture with the aim of consolidating an innovation ecosystem of international reference around the Port of Algeciras Bay. Therefore, the APBA and the FCTA want to give recognition to those innovative changes of process, product, service or even the development of new business models that can improve the competitive advantage of our port.
Project’s alignment
The theme of the proposals for this first edition had to be related to the logistic-port and maritime activity that takes place in the Port of Algeciras Bay and be aligned with one of the innovation focuses defined by the APBA in its strategy:
- 1. Port operations and logistics’ integration
- 2. Environmental sustainability and energy efficiency
- 3. Resilience, safety and port protection
Project’s assessment
The works were evaluated by a Jury constituted annually for this purpose and made up of seven (7) members belonging to the University of Cadiz (UCA), FCTA and APBA.
Specifically, the following criteria were analysed:
- Strategic fit and importance of the theme and solution developed in the work in relation to the innovation strategy and the current challenges of the Port of Algeciras Bay (20%).
- Impact of the innovative solution on the competitive advantage or image/reputation of the Port of Algeciras Bay, at a socio-economic level (25%).
- Degree of maturity and novelty of the innovative solution or proposal (20%).
- Technical/technological feasibility of the solution in terms of its development, implementation and technical compatibility or compatibility with the business model in the Port of Algeciras Bay (25%).
- Clarity, precision, structure and capacity for synthesis of the documents submitted (10%).
The award-winners
The Jury decreed as winner of this first edition, Mr. Ignacio Serra Viedma, from the ETS de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos of the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV), for his Master’s thesis “Analysis of efficiency increase based on automation in a port container terminal. Application to MSC Terminal Valencia”, focused on analysing how (semi) automation could improve the efficiency of container terminals and what alternatives or levels of automation, both technically and economically, would be advisable for container terminals that are currently in operation (brownfield) and need to increase their storage capacity or increase productivity.
The latter received from Ms. Rosa Rodríguez, Director-Manager of the FCTA and Mr. Eduardo Villalba, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the APBA, an economic endowment of 1,200€ and the possibility of carrying out a paid internship for 6 months at the APBA, respectively.
Diplomas were also awarded to the other three finalists:
- Ignacio Fernández de Bobadilla Hildebrandt, from the Polytechnic School of Algeciras (UCA), for his work “Study of wave propagation and calculation of a vertical breakwater. Review of the free dock at the Port of Algeciras”.
- Blanca Jiménez Navas, from the Master’s Degree in Port and Logistics Management of the UCA, for her work “Approximation to the calculation of freight in the lines of Ceuta y Tánger-Med”.
- Alejo Parejo Cote, from the Master’s Degree in Port and Logistics Management of the UCA, for his final master’s degree work “Electronic Data Interchange: the relationship between container terminals and its clients”. The case of a public container terminal in Algeciras.
