The meeting brought together member and non-member companies to present the current status of the project and the technical conditions required to ensure the competitiveness of the sector.
Balearic Marine Cluster held today at the Chamber of Commerce of Mallorca an open information session for companies from the nautical industrial sector, both members and non-members, with the aim of presenting the current status of the Port of Palma reorganisation process and addressing the main questions raised by the business community.
The session provided a structured overview of the evolution of the project since its initial presentation in 2024, as well as detailed the information gathered by the cluster during meetings with the Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) and the technical aspects that the sector considers essential to guarantee the future viability of refit and naval repair activities.
The reorganisation process of the Port of Palma will be decisive for the port’s industrial model over the next decade, in an international context in which other Mediterranean hubs are actively competing to attract large refit and naval repair projects. The Balearic nautical sector brings together nearly 880 companies dedicated to recreational boating and generates more than 5,000 direct jobs, highlighting the strategic importance of any decision affecting its operations.
Technical conditions for the new industrial area
Balearic Marine Cluster has shared with the sector the technical requirements that, within the framework of previous meetings with the APB, have been requested for the new repair area in the West Breakwater (Dique del Oeste). These include the need to guarantee yard space, haul-out capacity, water surface area, linear berthing metres and workshop areas equal to or greater than those planned in the previous proposal.
Attention was also drawn to critical aspects such as operational safety, coexistence with other port activities, protection against weather conditions, proper planning of access and transport, and the well-being of workers.
Objectives of the Port Authority and project status
According to the information provided by the Balearic Islands Port Authority during previous meetings with Balearic Marine Cluster, the project foresees a Port–City integration process in the commercial docks and the Contramuelle Mollet, as well as the gradual relocation of nautical industrial activities to the West Breakwater, distributed between the San Carlos shipyard and the shipyard area located on the breakwater itself.
Based on the information shared by the APB during these meetings, the project is currently at an early stage and key aspects still need to be defined, such as the distribution of spaces, detailed operational analysis, economic and environmental impact, and associated mobility.
In this context, the sector’s competitiveness will depend on ensuring that the new space not only replicates current conditions but also improves operational capacity and consolidates Palma’s international positioning as a leading Mediterranean refit hub.
Coordinated work and long-term vision
Balearic Marine Cluster will continue working in a technical and coordinated manner to ensure that the reorganisation process preserves and strengthens the industrial position of the Port of Palma.
“Our objective is to ensure that the reorganisation process preserves and reinforces the industrial capacity of the Port of Palma,” said Pedro Suasi, Manager of Balearic Marine Cluster.
The session concluded with an open Q&A session, reflecting the high level of interest and also the concerns of the sector regarding a process that will be decisive for the industrial future of the Port of Palma over the next ten years.
