Vicente Boluda President of the Boluda Group

Boluda Corporación Marítima is a family company founded in 1837, which provides global maritime services on the Spanish coast, Portugal, France, Italy, West Africa, Latin America and the Indian Ocean. It has a presence in 70 ports and offices on the five continents. Its President, Vicente Boluda answers all our questions. We play in ND the interesting interview published on the website of the Spanish Maritime Cluster.

- What are the main activities and geographical areas where Boluda Corporación Marítima works today?

Its activity is divided into three main divisions, which cover the practice of all the different areas that make up the sector:

Boluda Towage and Salvage:It's the company's core search. Specialists in port trailer, the division also performs, high trailer, off shore and sea rescue. Boluda Towage and Salvage is the second trailer company in the world

Boluda Lines:It is the shipping company in container of Boluda Corporación Marítima. It explores commercial lines connecting the Iberian peninsula, France, Italy, Canary Islands, the West coast of Africa and Cape Verde. It operates four maritime terminals and provides international shipping and transit services.

Boluda Tankers:Provides fuel supply and transport service, the leader of the sector in Spain, exceeds 12 million tonnes per year provided.

The Corporation also has companies of expertise and insurance, port mooring, land transport, etc. The implementation is worldwide, with service in more than 70 ports in Europe, Central and South America and the Indian Ocean and offices on the five continents.

- Who are your main partners and customers?

The Company is familiar and we have no partners. Our main customers are the large shipping companies, oil companies and any company that needs intermodal transport.

- What do you think distinguishes them from their competitors and where is the basis for their success?

The good service, its great team of highly trained and committed professionals, the quality of the fleet and the almost two centuries of experience.

- How do you value the current situation in the Spanish maritime sector?

Most of the Spanish territory is surrounded by sea. The Iberian peninsula has 4,872 kilometres of coast and if we add the Balearic and Canary Islands are almost 8,000, so 80% of the perimeter of Spain is coast. This has meant that historically the sea has been a source of wealth and a means of life for thousands of people. The maritime sector is essential for the social and economic development of our country. Both fishing and commercial navigation have experienced constant growth from their origin. The improvement of fleets and environmental protection measures make maritime transport the most efficient environment for the transport of goods.

- What about your particular activity segments?

As for the port trailer sector, our fleet is wide and technologically advanced, allowing us to be present in large international ports. We offer port trailer services, Off Shore trailer services, maritime assistance, salvages and operations to help with marine pollution and fire service, being able to undertake any of these services with effective and full satisfaction of our customers.

The shipping division provides comprehensive transport service and comprehensive freight management. It explores different maritime lines that connect North Europe, the Mediterranean, the West Coast of Africa, Cape Verde and a river transport service on the Paraguay- Paraná Hydrovia, one of the most important river routes on the planet. In Boluda Tankers we are leaders in the sector in Spain and we provide bunker supply and transport service with an international implementation.

- Do you think Spain makes sufficient use of the possibilities of all kinds offered by the Sea?

Spanish ports currently play a very important role in international maritime traffic because of their strategic location, which has allowed them to grow significantly and to achieve maximum economic performance. On the other hand, taking advantage of the excellent weather conditions of much of our coastline, in recent years a powerful tourism sector has developed, which has favored, in addition to the sun and beach business, the flourishing of the cruise sector, with a large number of scales in our ports, which is generating important revenue in our country.

- What challenges do you think the sector faces in the coming years?

In the coming years, based on economies of scale, major strategic alliances are expected between major maritime companies.

- How should I respond to them?

Similarly, by creating cooperation between companies as these strategic alliances are now the best way to optimize costs and services. In the trailer sector we have to maintain our fleet remanagement line, following the policy we are currently carrying, incorporating in the ports of more maritime traffic units of more firing power to meet the needs of the large ships that are joining the sector the large shipping companies.

- What actions do you consider to be essential to harness the potential of the Spanish maritime sector?

The Administration should improve the infrastructure that complements the entire logistics network in certain ports, as well as improvements and extensions of the railway networks linking the ports to the large areas of the peninsular interior, and other transport networks that are fundamental international freight distribution routes.

- What are the advantages of being a partner of the Spanish Maritime Cluster?

The Cluster is an association of proven reference and composed of prestigious entities of the sector. I think it is an exceptional forum for the pooling of new projects, cooperation and the defence of common interests.

- How would you like to see the Spanish Maritime Cluster and expect it in the medium term?

I would like to see it as a consolidated entity, as a reference lobby in the sector and as an element of union and collaboration between Spanish companies.