MedaLogistics 2025 explores emerging opportunities amid a transforming logistics landscape

The 21st edition of MedaLogistics was held on June 18 and 19 June as part of SIL Barcelona and brought leading figures, CEOs and experts from the logistics industry

MedaLogistics 2025, the Mediterranean’s leading summit on logistics, transport and supply chain, consolidated as the main platform for reflection, connection, and investment for the Mediterranean logistics community, bringing together companies, experts, and influential figures from the sector to delve into the present and future of the industry and boost regional and global trade. This year’s edition, the number 21, was held on the 18th and 19th of June at Fira Barcelona, within the framework of SIL Barcelona, in collaboration with the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona.

Under the theme “Imagining the Mediterranean Logistic Future”, all the sessions focused on analysing the most innovative solutions from different sectors and cultures to face new challenges in the logistics industry, as well as exploring emerging opportunities and business connections that will drive the industry’s evolution in the coming years. This edition was shaped by ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the trade and tariff war initiated by the United States, which continues to affect the logistics and transport sectors. In this context, MedaLogistics was a call to action and a vindication of the key role of the logistics industry in the Mediterranean region to compete in a global market, attract investments, and improve connectivity between Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

This year's sessions spotlighted the pivotal trends and pressing challenges set to redefine the future of logistics and transport.  Among these, digitalisation stands out as a key driver of transformation. According to the panelists, AI, robotics, and automation will continue to be the key drivers of transformation in the logistics and transport sectors over the coming years. The sustainable transition of the sector was another key theme discussed throughout most sessions at MedaLogistics 2025. One of the discussions focused on the decarbonization and energy transition in the Mediterranean maritime industry. In addition, panelists highlighted that integrated transport —loading trailers and containers onto trains— is essential to meeting the EU’s ambitious targets of increasing rail freight by 50% by 2030 and doubling it by 2050.

Speakers also called for stronger public-private collaboration across Mediterranean countries to improve infrastructure, strengthen interregional connectivity between the three continents, and promote greater territorial cohesion. Other key topics of discussion included the importance of political stability in attracting foreign investment for logistics infrastructure and transport services, the urgent need to invest in human capital to address the sector’s evolving challenges, and the crucial role of women in shaping the future of transport and logistics across the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Africa.

ASCAME forges new economic bridges between Canada and the Mediterranean

ASCAME’s recent trade mission in Canada set the stage for long-term economic and cultural collaborations between both markets

The Mediterranean region and Canada are closer than ever. At the end of May, ASCAME, the Canadian Chamber in Italy and Euromed Group organized a trade mission in Montréal, Ottawa and Toronto in the framework of the World of Travel, Trade & Taste Expo 2025, held in Toronto, which featured for the first time a Mediterranean Pavilion. These initiatives set the stage for long-term economic and cultural collaborations between both markets, just at a moment in which Canada is actively exploring new business opportunities in the Mediterranean region in response to growing economic uncertainty and trade tensions with the United States.

ASCAME officially kicked off its mission in Canada with a first stop in Montréal on the 23rd of May, at Fasken’s offices. This first meeting represented a unique opportunity to meet with business leaders from both regions, explore potential collaborations and strategic partnerships, share ideas, and discover innovative paths that can open doors for companies in both markets. In Montréal, ASCAME also met with the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Québec. It was an excellent opportunity to discuss the common challenges between Québec and the Mediterranean, as well as the concrete cooperation to be developed along with ASCAME. The message was clear: Mediterranean cooperation goes beyond the shores of the Southern basin. It extends to the French-speaking regions of North America. Last meeting in Montréal was with Investissement Québec, alongside the Canadian Chamber in Italy, to explore new business opportunities between Québec and the Mediterranean region.

Next stop was Ottawa, on the 27th of May. ASCAME had a fruitful meeting with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce representatives in this city. Both parties agreed that in today’s challenging context, where trade relations between Canada and the U.S. face increasing obstacles, it is more important than ever to build international networks and diversify markets, especially with Europe and beyond. The trade mission concluded on May 30 and 31 in Toronto, coinciding with the Mediterranean Pavilion, at the World of Travel, Trade & Taste Expo 2025, where ASCAME’s representatives met with members from the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Canada.

ASCAME and the Canadian Chamber in Italy will create

a Mediterranean-Canada Business Council

The agreement seeks to enhance business, institutional, and innovation ties between the two regions

This month, ASCAME's General Coordinator, Mr. Anwar Zibaoui, and the Head of International Relations at the Canadian Chamber in Italy and CEO of Euromed Group, Mr. Sergio Passariello,  agreed to create a Mediterranean-Canada Business Council (MCBC) to strengthen business, institutional, and innovation relations between the two regions, create new opportunities for cooperation, investment, and development. Both institutions are committed to connecting the economic ecosystems on both sides of the Atlantic by fostering dialogue, strategic alliances, and the exchange of knowledge in key sectors. The MCBC will become the point of reference for economic and business relations between Canada and the Mediterranean. This initiative is structured around five key areas of action:

✔️ Organization of international events: Both institutions will jointly promote annual forums, thematic summits and sectoral panels.
✔️ Institutional and business networking: Establishment of strategic alliances between Chambers of Commerce in the Mediterranean and Canada, governments, start-ups and companies.
✔️ Promotion of foreign trade and international investment: Facilitating the global expansion of companies and attracting foreign investment.
✔️ Strategic projects: Trade missions, green innovation, training programs, and digitalization.
✔️ Generation and dissemination of knowledge through reports, market studies and sectoral newsletters that will help companies in both regions in their decision making and will also favor regional cooperation.

📍 MEMBERS CORNER

Interview with Mr. Şekib Avdagiç, President of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce: “Mediterranean Chambers are essential in facilitating trade, investment and cross-border cooperation”

The Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ICOC), founded in 1882, is one of the oldest Chambers in the world. With a total of 825,000 members, it is the second-largest Chamber in the world. Its services, ranging from local companies’ participation in around 50 international fairs to B2B meetings, trade and procurement missions, commercial diplomacy, and support to local entrepreneurs, impact not only the competitiveness and economic growth of Istanbul but also that of the whole of Türkiye.

We had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Şekib Avdagiç, President of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ICOC), who offered a comprehensive overview of the Chamber’s mission and strategic objectives. He shared valuable insights into the challenges faced by local businesses, Türkiye’s investment landscape, the pivotal role of Chambers of Commerce, the benefits of ASCAME membership, and the future of the Mediterranean region in light of current geopolitical dynamics.

ASCAME Insights

Mr. Anwar Zibaoui, ASCAME's General Coordinator, analyzes the importance of economic diplomacy to position companies in international markets

In an opinion article published in 'On Economía', Mr. Zibaoui points out that diplomatic relations are evolving in tandem with rising geopolitical tensions, compelling nations to enhance their diplomatic capacities to navigate increasingly complex global dynamics.

Following the recent visit to Japan and South Korea of the President of Generalitat de Catalunya, Mr. Salvador Illa, and the President of Cambra de Comerç de Barcelona, Mr. Josep Santacreu, ASCAME's General Coordinator, Mr. Anwar Zibaoui, analyzes in On Economía the importance of economic diplomacy to position companies in international markets. 

Mr. Zibaoui advocates effective economic diplomacy: “Political relations with other countries are essential to ensure the economic promotion of the country and the expansion of its companies, achieving trade, investment and financial agreements. Public policies must make internationalization a priority". As he explains, “embassies and foreign trade offices are essential because they have an exceptional geographical coverage, knowledge of the terrain and the business communities”.

ASCAME's General Coordinator also points out that diplomatic relations are evolving at the same pace as the geopolitical tensions occurring on a global scale: "While this is not a new phenomenon, the rapid pace of change is unprecedented, compelling countries to innovate and enhance their diplomatic capacities to navigate emerging complexities that threaten global peace and disrupt economic flows, including trade and investment agreements".

ASCAME, a key partner for the 2nd AfricaMed Business Forum held in Casablanca (Morocco)

The event, organized once again by Kardev,  brought together policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs to shape Africa’s economic future. The main objective of the summit was to serve as a platform for economic exchange, networking, and strategic partnerships between Africa and the rest of the world.

Through focused discussions on key themes such as sustainability, digital economy, and infrastructure, this year’s edition aimed to transform regional challenges into opportunities and open new horizons between Africa and the rest of the world. The interactive workshops and targeted networking sessions created an environment conducive to open dialogue and fruitful partnerships. The main insights were:

✔️ Accelerating African Economic Integration: The forum emphasized the urgent need to strengthen intra-African cooperation and integration. Leaders and stakeholders called for a unified approach to unlock the continent’s economic potential.

✔️ Strategic Use of Natural Resources: Prince Mustapha Audu highlighted that Africa holds over 75% of the world’s raw materials. He stressed the importance of building local value chains and robust logistics infrastructure to capitalize on this advantage.

✔️ Recognition of Morocco’s Industrial Model:  Morocco was praised for its pioneering efforts in sustainable industrialization and resource valorization, serving as a model for other African nations.

✔️ Platform for Investment and Collaboration: The forum served as a hub for B2B meetings and investment matchmaking, aiming to build on the success of the 2023 edition, which generated 150 investment projects and 500 business meetings.

ASCAME Projects

ASCAME and EPLO co-organize a workshop on the STPLs of the D4T Project in the context of the Circle the MED event in Athens (Greece)

On the 3rd of June, in the framework of the Circle the MED event by Interreg Euro-MED Programme, ASCAME and EPLO European Public Law Organization organized a special testing session of the Sustainable Tourism Policy Labs (STPLs) in Athens (Greece). The session, which counted the participation of various experts and stakeholders, was opened by Mr. Ioannis Mardikis, partner of Dialogue4Tourism (D4T) and representative of EPLO..

After a brief introduction of the “White paper on sustainable tourism in the MED area” and its main results, Mr. Mardikis gave the floor to several guest speakers invited for the occasion. From different perspectives: first, Ms. Alexandra Cousteau, President of Oceans 2050, highlighted the need to preserve the blue marine ecosystem and the importance of sustainability. Secondly,  Ms. Ornela Çuçi, Former Vice Minister at the Ministry of Tourism and Environment in Albania, shared some reflections about the main challenges faced by sustainability in the main tourist destinations in Albania. Thirdly, Mr. Fokion Zaimis, Deputy Governor of Achaia of the Region of Western Greece, Vice-President of the CPMR Intermediterranean Commission, and President of the CPMR Balkan and Black Sea Commission, talked about the challenges of sustainability from the governance regional perspective.

Mr. Luis Miranda, Partner of D4T and Project Manager at ASCAME, explained the main goals of this first testing session of the Sustainable Tourism Policy Labs (STPLs) and introduced Ms. Giulia Balestracci, Sustainable Coastal and Marine Tourism Specialist, the entity that won the tender to develop the methodology for the STPLs.

ASCAME attends the Steering Committee meeting of the Recircle MED Project (Interreg Euro-MED Programme) in Volos (Greece)

On the 5th - 6th of June, partners from 7 Mediterranean countries (Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, and Spain) met in Volos, Greece, to participate in the kick-off and the first Steering Committee meeting of the project “Supporting the implementation of blue and circular tourism in the Mediterranean” (RECIRCLE MED), of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme. The RECIRCLE MED Project is a new project born from the idea to transfer the main results of the REBOOT MED and INCIRCLE Projects to foster the transition to a more circular and efficient economy. This is closely linked to ASCAME, as one of the former partners of the REBOOT MED Project.

On the first day,  Ms. Estela Delgado and Mr. Luis Miranda, from ASCAME's Projects Area, explained ASCAME’s activities, mainly devoted to transferring and disseminating project results. In addition, they took advantage of this scenario to present as well the two ASCAME’s associated partners taking part in the RECIRCLE MED Project:  the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, and the Chambre de Commerce d'Industrie et de Services de la Région Tanger Tétouan Al Hoceima (CCIS-TTA). 

The second day began with the online presentation of Mr. Roberto Grassi, Municipality of Cefalu, the project’s partners. Then, Ms. Aspasia Antonia Koutsopoulou, from the Thessaly University, explained the administrative and reporting procedures. The session continued with Ms. Erato Malisianou and Ms. Eleni Myrilla, from Living Prospects Ltd, who explained the main communication goals and challenges for the project.

ASCAME News & Events

New edition of MedaCity

to be held in September

in Cagliari (Italy)

After being hosted in various Mediterranean cities, the forum returns in a new edition to be held in Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy) on September 19. The summit, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Cagliari-Oristano, in collaboration with ASCAME, will become an excellent platform for addressing pressing urban challenges in the Mediterranean region, such as environmental sustainability, mobility, housing, digitalization, and social inclusion, but also a strategic hub for economic and urban cooperation. This is a strategic event to build alliances, share solutions, and amplify the voices of those transforming cities into engines of peace and innovation. Register now! 👉 https://lnkd.in/d8mFvQJx 

4th Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 to be held in September in Algeria

The upcoming edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) will be held from September 4 to 10, 2025, at the Palais des Expositions du Pins Maritimes in Algiers (Algeria). This edition, organized under the theme "Gateway to New Opportunities",  targets a key group of strategic sectors, including agriculture, industry, energy, finance, research and innovation, health, transportation, and startups.  The fair provides an exceptional platform for companies to access the African market, which comprises more than 1.4 billion people and has a gross domestic product exceeding $3.5 trillion.  Register to attend!👉 https://n9.cl/bkwton

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