Between November 10 and 13, the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2025 took place in Barcelona, an internationally renowned event focused on exploring the trends and strategic technologies driving innovation and digital transformation to shape the future of organizations and businesses. Under the theme Agents of Change: Leading Through Intelligence, this event consolidates its position as the world’s most important summit for CIOs and IT executives.
Held at the Barcelona International Convention Center (CCIB), the event brought together more than 6,500 Information Technology leaders from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), with the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA) represented by the Head of the Technological Development Area, Jesús Medina.
The four-day program offered an immersive environment designed for strategic learning and accelerating digital transformation. Attendees participated in more than 140 thematic sessions focused on Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud sovereignty, cost optimization, and IT operating model innovation. Meanwhile, the Signature Series presented strategic trends for 2026, predictions on emerging technologies, and the CIO executive agenda, while the IT Xpo showcased leading solution providers with live demonstrations.
In particular, Jesús Medina took part in a specialized panel titled “European Public Sector Transportation Session: Success Stories, Lessons Learnt & Discussion”, where he presented the transformational experience of the Port of Algeciras through the talk “Evolution of IT Operating Model towards a Value-optimized Approach.” Medina shared the panel with Lauren Sager Weinstein, Chief Data Officer of Transport for London; Irene Muñoz, Chief Data Officer of Renfe; Clement Egan, Chief Technology Officer of Irish Rail; Roberto Giagnacovo, Chief Information Officer of ENAC (Italian Civil Aviation Authority); and Salvatore D’Alfonso, Chief Information Technology Officer of TELT Lyon Turin.
His presentation began by highlighting the context of the Port of Algeciras, where the APBA is addressing the highly competitive environment of the sector in general — and the Strait of Gibraltar in particular — through differentiation based on superior service quality at competitive prices. In this regard, the main strategic challenge lies in leveraging innovation and digital transformation to achieve operational efficiency and reliability. This approach aims to integrate new technology- and agility-driven services rapidly into a traditional and complex sector characterized by relationships among multiple stakeholders. As he stated, “digital transformation is not only a technical effort but a strategic imperative that requires cultural change, cross-functional collaboration, and a clear governance framework.”
He went on to detail a series of specific actions the Port of Algeciras has undertaken in response to these challenges, implementing a comprehensive transformation of its IT operating model. Finally, he emphasized the results achieved so far by the Algeciras port, underlining greater agility in adopting digital products and services, a higher project success rate, increased operational efficiency of IT resources, and the adoption of a transparent, value-based prioritization model that ensures the effective allocation of resources focused on generating impact in the logistics-port business.
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