The Logistics is reinforced in Catalonia as alternative to industry. The possibility of occupying spaces for a booming industry and that registers levels of real estate demand not known in previous years gains weight. The next public tender to tender the occupation of land abandoned by Nissan in the Free Trade Zone is a clear example of this trend. The lack of spaces in the metropolitan environment is leading to real competition between large international logistics real estate operators, which will meet this week in Barcelona within the framework of the International Logistics Exhibition (SIL).
According to data from the Logistics Observatory, carried out by Cimalsa, in 2021 logistics already represented 14.4% of Catalan GDP, the second European territory with the most weight of this activity in relation to GDP after the Netherlands. And logistics is also in a process of change. In Catalonia there are around fifty ‘start-ups’ or newly created companies with novel solutions for the sector and that champion new technologies with a great future. The main umbrella for these newly created firms is electronic commerce, which brings together everything from online stores to courier companies, packaging companies or smart lockers, for example.
According to INE data, in Spain the logistics sector increased its turnover by 18.9% in 2021, with activity levels already close to pre-pandemic levels for the forecast for the entire year. The activity that registered the greatest growth was storage and activities related to transport, with an annual increase of 26.1% (35.1% in December). In the case of the airline sector, the rise in activity was 24%, with an increase in revenues in December of 106.2%. In maritime transport, it closed 2021 with an increase in turnover of 19.1%. In the case of rail transport, the rise in activity was 20.7%, while postal activity rose 8.9%.
The euphoria of the logistics sector is also shown in the hustle and bustle of property developers, who see Barcelona and its surroundings as a suitable space with great potential. The investment in logistics assets was higher than 2,200 million euros last year in Spain. In the case of Catalonia, a contracting of 912,000 square meters was reached, with low availability levels of 2.4% and zero in the central area of Barcelona. The city has some nine million square meters of logistics space, but less than 200,000 square meters are available, according to Savills Aguirre Newman.
The LIS 2022the fair of Logistics, transportationintralogistics and supply chain arrives in its 22nd edition at the most opportune moment after two years of absence due to the pandemic. The Barcelona trade fair activity in recent times has highlighted the importance of logistics for the economy and the city needs to update its spaces for a new reality that requires modern infrastructures for the storage and distribution of goods. The Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, will be in charge of presiding over the official opening ceremony of SIL this Tuesday. Pere Navarro, special delegate of the State in the CZFB and president of the SIL, highlights that “SIL has always been a fair that has constantly reinvented itself and we are more eager than ever to bring together logistics professionals to present the latest trends in an increasingly digitalized and sustainable sector”.
For Cristian Oller, head of the multinational Prologis in Spain, SIL means opening “the three most important days for logistics in Spain” in a “record context of real estate logistics demand”, but also with “lack of land in certain areas”. In his opinion, sustainability, warehouse automation and the promotion and attraction of talent in the sector are fundamental elements to be addressed in the sector. Prologis is working on Park Circuit, alongside the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, on the purchase of more plots of land in San Fernando de Henares (Madrid) and on the public tender for the Nissan land in the Zona Franca. For Oller, logistics is a clear alternative to occupy industrial land, “with the clear commitment to maintain as many jobs as possible”.
The event, organized by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB), and which will be held from May 31 to June 2 in Hall 8 of Fira de Barcelona’s Montjuic-Plaza España venue, will have the participation of 650 companies and visitors from 81 countries to network and share innovations and knowledge about a key sector for the economy. Some 15,000 visitors are expected. The economic impact of the fair in Barcelona has not been calculated, but it is confirmed that many companies that attend the SIL take the opportunity to carry out parallel events, to a greater extent than other larger fairs. Among the participating companies, there is 30% internationality, with the presence of countries such as Germany, France, China, Argentina, Italy, Mexico, Taiwan, Peru, Slovakia, Ecuador, Colombia, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Chile, the Netherlands, Romania and Poland.
the new logistics
The exhibition will show the latest trends in terms of innovation. Sensorization, installation of sensors that continuously transmit information, have transformed a sector that is no longer just storage and transport. Professionals have more information that needs to be assimilated and processed quickly. Like other areas of the economy, the digitization of the logistics sector has modified the professional profiles required. The exhibition will show storage solutions, package and vehicle monitoring and tracking systems, packaging and bagging systems, route planners, energy solutions, computer applications to predict returns, practical applications of robotization… In practice, the RFID systems that were the heritage of large multinationals a few years ago are now a more accessible tool for any company.
‘Start-ups’
The SIL has selected the most innovative initiatives among the nearly 150 that have presented their candidacy. The firms Yopidoya, Sense, Feeder, BeChained, Alterity, Estoko, ClearQuote, Zeemcoin, Gandolapp and Usyncro are the 10 initiatives that will compete for the award for the best start-up, which will be awarded at the Logistics and Projects Night selected will be published in the SIL Barcelona startups directory as the best emerging companies of the year. The ‘start-ups’ are one of the surprises of the show and keys to drawing the future of a sector in process of change. For the president of the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona, Pere Navarro, “the ‘start-ups’ are the surprise of this year’s SIL, of new companies that arrive in the sector, that work very well and that offer new opportunities and positions of work”.
Related news
The Congress of the 22nd edition of the benchmark fair for the logistics sector in Spain, the Mediterranean and Latin America, will highlight logistics and e-commerce as key engines that make the economy turn around. To do this, it will bring together more than 300 international speakers to discuss the three economic macro trends, innovation 4.0 and digitization, sustainability and talent, in more than 80 sessions that will take place in 4 stages: Business Transformation, Industry & Logistics, eDelivery, and Global. Logistics. Inspirational speakers, CEOs, SOLD directors (Supply Chain, Operations, Logistics and Distribution), directors of e-commerce and sustainability, industry, retail and logistics, as well as global C-Level positions will reflect on the global commercial challenges , its impact on supply chains, the emergence of new business models, and the cultural transformation that companies of today and the future are facing in an unprecedented socioeconomic context.
During the last day, next Thursday, the Job Market Place will take place, an initiative promoted by Barcelona Activa within the framework of the fair organized by the CZFB. BOLLORE LOGISTICS, CELSA GROUP, Decathlon, Dupessey Ibérica, Matachana Group and Nou Transport are the 6 participating companies that in this edition will offer 16 vacancies in the logistics sector to fill positions such as account technician, Sales Executive, operative of Maritime and Air traffic, coordinator of daily team management, industrial mechanic, logistics operator, international road freight transport operator, purchasing technician. Candidates interested in applying for the offers must send their CV indicating the position requested to [email protected], from which candidates who meet the profiles required to hold a job interview at the 22nd edition of SIL will be selected. Likewise, applicants may participate prior to the event in a preparatory session via online in order to improve their presentation to companies.