The Zona Franca and the University of Cádiz organize this international meeting, which is held from October 28 to 30 at the Palacio de Congresos and which this year has more than 2,000 registered participants.
The State delegate in the Free Trade Zone, Fran González, and the rector of the UCA, Casimiro Mantell, will inaugurate the forum, which will begin with a conference by astronaut and researcher Sara García Alonso
The meeting will address international research projects, the promotion of talent and entrepreneurship in the Blue Economy and will feature figures such as the marine biologist Manu San Félix, the Olympic champion Carolina Marín and the actor and comedian Santi Rodríguez
The fourth edition of Blue Zone Forum InnovAzul 2026 starts tomorrow, Wednesday, October 26, at the Cádiz Conference Center with a record participation. More than 2,000 people have registered for the international Blue Economy meeting, organized by the Cádiz Free Trade Zone and the University of Cádiz (UCA), with the collaboration of the Campus of International Excellence of the Sea (CEIMAR) and the European University of the Seas (SEA-EU). For three days, Cádiz will become a meeting point between scientific knowledge, business initiative and new markets, bringing together representatives from the business field, research, entrepreneurship and institutions, together with professionals from different sectors, under the motto “Projecting in blue”.
The opening day on Wednesday will feature the participation at 10 a.m. of the State delegate in the Free Trade Zone of Cádiz, Fran González, and the rector of the University of Cádiz, Casimiro Mantell, who will welcome the participants, along with the mayor of Cádiz, Bruno García, and the general director of the INCYDE Foundation, Javier Collado. One of the highlights will be at 10:30 with the inaugural conference by Sara García Alonso, researcher at the National Cancer Research Center (CNIO) and the first Spanish woman selected as a reserve astronaut by the European Space Agency (ESA), who will share her experience in the field of science, research and innovation.
Blue Zone Forum InnovAzul 2026 will highlight how the sea has ceased to be only the setting for traditional economic activities and has also become a space for technological innovation, business development and new investment opportunities. The decarbonization of maritime transport, advanced aquaculture, biotechnology, the promotion of talent and entrepreneurship or the transformation of marine waste into high value-added products are some of the areas that are expanding the possibilities of the Blue Economy.
The forum will analyze the challenges and opportunities of an economy that seeks to make the use of marine resources compatible with environmental sustainability. Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, green ports, regenerative aquaculture and sustainable coastal tourism will be part of a broad program aimed at identifying technological solutions, promoting innovation and opening new business possibilities.
This year the meeting will have a greater international dimension, thanks also to the participation of representatives from different Latin American countries attending the XXIX Conference of Ibero-American Free Trade Zones, which is being held these days in Cádiz. This coincidence will allow for expanding the exchange of experiences and knowledge and strengthening the connections between the Blue Economy ecosystem of the Cadiz Free Zone and other international markets.
In addition to Sara García Alonso, the program's protagonists include marine biologist Manu San Félix, an international leader in ocean conservation; the Olympic badminton champion Carolina Marín, who will share her experience of improvement and leadership; and the actor and comedian Santi Rodríguez, in charge of closing the meeting.
Employment and female leadership will also have their own spaces within the program. On Thursday the 29th, a Blue Economy Job Fair will be held, designed to facilitate contact between companies and professionals and bring closer the job opportunities offered by sectors linked to the sea. For its part, a new edition of the Blue Women Forum will take place on Friday the 30th, an initiative already consolidated within the meeting that will focus on the role of women in the development of the Blue Economy.
Likewise, the content program includes on Wednesday the 28th the round tables "4 helices: Driving projects of the Blue Economy in Spain" and "UCA Blue Talent. High-impact entrepreneurship from the University of Cádiz" to analyze the most powerful initiatives in this field and the entrepreneurial proposals that are making their way thanks to talent, research and innovation. With the help of CEIMAR, the BLUEBIO-ANDALUCÍA project will be presented.
During Thursday, the event includes the table “Blue economy projects that cross borders: international blue economy projects” and a triple section of debate forums organized by the University of the Seas (SEA-EU) on “Blue Skills & Training Programs. Joint programmes, microcredentials and Union of Skills”, “Blue economy & territories: towards a blue innovation ecosystem i+Blue” y “SEA-EU Future Leadership Forum. Ocean research impact and policy dialogue”.
Blue Zone Forum InnovAzul 2026 is part of the ZF Blue Core-Business Incubator 4.0 project, 85% financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), within the Pluriregional Program of Spain FEDER 2021-2027, through the INCYDE Foundation.