Debate in Santos connects Port and industry in the search for new investments

Experts point to integration among logistics, energy and production as a way to increase Brazil’s competitiveness (Alexsander Ferraz/AT)

Promoting discussions on the integration between the port and industrial sectors and the challenges involving two segments that are fundamental to the Brazilian economy is the objective of Summit Porto-Indústria 2026, to be held next Tuesday (1), at the Grupo Tribuna auditorium.

The first panel, beginning at 2:20 p.m., will address “Port-Industry Developments and Global Lessons”. One of the guests for the discussion will be Portocel General Manager Alexandre Billot. The company operates a port terminal specializing in pulp handling in Aracruz (ES), as well as serving as a logistics operator at Terminal 32 (T32), at the Port of Santos.

“The topic is highly relevant because it places ports back into a broader discussion about economic development, industrial competitiveness and national strategy”, he says. According to him, for a long time, ports were treated predominantly as transportation infrastructure: places for loading, unloading, storage and logistical connections. “This role remains essential, but the port-industry concept proposes something broader. It is based on the idea that the port can also serve as a platform for productive, energy, logistics, technological and territorial integration.”

Billot says Brazil has enormous export potential, a significant natural resource base, strong production chains and a strategic geographic position. “But we still face difficulties in transforming logistics infrastructure into a platform for value addition, greater productive density and regional development.”

Learnings

In the general manager’s view, port-industrial facilities offer three key lessons. The first is that proximity among ports, industry, storage, energy, services and access infrastructure generates systemic gains. “The goal is to reduce uncertainty, time, losses, tied-up capital, operational risks and coordination costs.”

The second lesson is that physical infrastructure alone is not enough. “It is necessary to have long-term planning, regulatory stability, integration between public and private stakeholders, predictable licensing, governance and a value-chain perspective. The port-industry model depends on an integrated approach: port, industry, territory, environment, energy, people and innovation need to interact with one another”, he explains.

The third lesson is that the modern port-industry model is not merely an agenda of major construction projects. “It is an agenda involving logistics intelligence, efficient use of territory, technology, sustainability and institutional capacity. Competitive advantage arises from integration, not merely from the size of the infrastructure.”

Connection

Another panel, scheduled for 4:20 p.m., will address “Logistics Bottlenecks, Competitiveness and Neo-Industrialization”, with the participation of Santos Brasil Director of Port Terminal Operations Bruno Stupello.

“Neo-industrialization generates demand for more sophisticated logistics. Efficient logistics increases competitiveness, and greater competitiveness attracts new investments. In addition, logistics infrastructure not only supports economic growth but also drives it. Companies consider the quality of ports, railways, highways and access to markets when deciding where to invest”, he summarizes.

Stupello considers the topic fundamental because there can be no competitive industry without efficient logistics. “Neo-industrialization presupposes greater use of technology, productivity, investment and integration into global value chains, and all of this requires efficient infrastructure and logistics capacity”, he says.

According to the executive, Brazil has made progress in recent years, including in the port sector, but still has “enormous potential for gains if we can transform good projects into available infrastructure with greater speed and predictability,” he argues.

The event, moderated by Grupo Tribuna port affairs consultant Maxwell Rodrigues, is now open for registration on the website .