The Free Trade Zone of Cádiz has presented its model of innovation and Blue Economy during the III Ibero-American Tourism Forum, held from June 1 to 3 in San Pedro Sula (Honduras). The Cádiz Consortium participated in the meeting following the invitation issued by CEOE, co-organizer of the event through the Council of Ibero-American Entrepreneurs (CEIB), to showcase its experience in business management and the consolidation of an ecosystem based on talent, innovation, and high technological value.
The organizers of the forum defined the Cádiz institution as a strategic ally and a benchmark in entrepreneurship and innovation, with the capacity to replicate across the Atlantic, in line with the new model of industry 4.0, sustainable and respectful of the environment, and with the Blue Economy as the central axis. The Free Trade Zone was explicitly invited to detail the work developed around Incubazul and BlueCore as successful cases and replicable models in countries in the region.
The State Delegate in the Free Trade Zone of Cádiz, Fran González, participated in the round table titled Environmental sustainability and adaptability, alongside speakers such as Antonio Magraner, president of the Spanish Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs (CEAJE); Caroline Balduc, member of the Americas Business Dialogue Tourism Taskforce (ABD); Elvin Flanco, president of the National Chamber of Indigenous Tourism of Panama; and Luis Martínez Figueroa, manager of the Chilean Association of Rural Tourism. In addition, González participated in an exclusive day for institutions and companies where he detailed the business acceleration model of Incubazul and BlueCore.
The Cádiz delegation, which had its own stand at the forum, also included the director of Blue Economy of the Consortium, José Manuel Fedriani, and Alfonso Matías, responsible for Your Sustainable Destination, one of the Incubazul startups specializing in tourism sustainability certification seals aimed at evaluating and recognizing good practices in destinations, accommodations, dining, and companies engaged in tourism activities.
At the closing event, the president of Honduras, Nasry Asfura, visited the Free Trade Zone stand and inquired about the details of the Blue Core project. Additionally, during the forum, meetings took place that translated into the interest of several participating companies to integrate into the acceleration programs of Incubazul and BlueCore, attracted by the portfolio of services in financing, internationalization, and response to 360-degree needs.
Fran González stated that "in the Free Trade Zone of Cádiz we are catalysts of a new model of industry with the Blue Economy and innovation as central axes. Our Blue Economy strategy is sustainable, innovative, resilient, inclusive, and has enormous potential to be replicated across all territories of the Latin American region." The State Delegate added that "Cádiz is already a benchmark in the sector at the national level, thanks to the push from the Free Trade Zone, in collaboration with other administrations and the public-private alliance, which are consolidating a strong ecosystem with its own identity and continuous growth."
González also presented the Consortium's experience in the recovery of industrially degraded areas through the Incubazul project, as well as other initiatives linked to the Blue Economy and decarbonization, such as the recovery of saltworks. "Of the 130 registered saltworks, less than a dozen are active, so there is a way to continue working," he pointed out, referring to their tourist value and their function as blue carbon sinks. The Blue Core project is financed at 85% by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), under the 2021-2027 Multi-Regional Operational Program of Spain, within the framework of priority P1A of the Viveros 4.0 High Technology Incubators Program.
Participation in the forum also allowed visibility for the two major events that the Cádiz capital will host next October: the XXIX Ibero-American Free Zones Conference and the fourth edition of the Blue Zone Forum-Innovazul, organized this year in collaboration with the University of Cádiz. Both meetings will turn Cádiz into a meeting point for the fiscal areas on both sides of the Atlantic and an international reference for the Blue Economy, sustainability, and innovation.
The permanent secretary of the CEIB, director of the Department of Relations with Ibero-America and Cabinet Director of the Presidency at CEOE, Narciso Casado Martín, thanked the participation of the Cádiz Consortium and committed to attending Cádiz next October "to continue strengthening alliances and advancing the development of the blue business fabric around the Blue Core and Incubazul projects." Casado described the forum as "a space for public-private dialogue and action" aimed at promoting "a smarter, more sustainable, inclusive, and competitive tourism in Ibero-America," with artificial intelligence as a tool to improve competitiveness.
During their stay in the Central American country, representatives of the Free Trade Zone of Cádiz were received by the Spanish ambassador in Honduras, Guillermo Escribano, and by the representative of the Spanish Consulate in San Pedro Sula. The Cádiz delegation also attended a reception at the town hall of the host municipality of the event.
The III Ibero-American Tourism Forum was organized by an alliance of business, tourism, and government organizations led by the CEIB, the Ibero-American Federation of Young Entrepreneurs (FIJE), the Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP), the United Nations agency responsible for sustainable tourism, and the National Chamber of Tourism of Honduras (CANATURH), with the support of the Honduran government, the Tourism Secretariat and institutions in the country, and with the backing of the Ibero-American Secretary General (SEGIB) in collaboration with ICEX Exportación e Inversiones. The meeting, inaugurated by President Nasry Asfura, gathered more than a thousand participants from governments, institutions, business organizations, companies, foundations, tourism industry unions, universities, and experts from various countries.
