Apeco eyes team ups with Spanish firms

The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (Apeco) is eyeing partnerships with Spanish engineering firm IDOM Consulting, Engineering, Architecture SAU and major trade show organization Fira Barcelona. That is, to develop vital infrastructure projects within the ecozone.

During its investment mission in Spain, officials of Apeco and Jaume Mas Vilella — director for logistics and operations at IDOM — discussed plans to build a food and logistics hub and port infrastructure in Casiguran, Aurora.

Meanwhile, Apeco officials and Ricard Zapatero, CEO of Fira Barcelona International, explored the possibility of building a world-class convention center at the ecozone.

Apeco will form a working group to draft the memoranda of understanding and finalize the list of projects to be undertaken with IDOM and Fira.

Apeco aims to propose a feasibility study to IDOM for the five- to 10-hectare food and logistics hub. This is intended to help boost agricultural production, develop value-adding industries and enhance the local food supply chain.

The planned hub is modeled after Mercabarna, a 100-hectare wholesale and logistics complex located in Barcelona, Spain. It supplies fresh food to the public and hosts 600 companies engaged in the distribution, preparation, importing and exporting of fresh and frozen products.

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Gil Taway IV, president and CEO of Apeco, said IDOM signified interest in assisting Apeco in designing its port facilities and cold chain logistics system and securing financing from the Asian Development Bank.

Meanwhile, Fira Barcelona, a consortium composed of Barcelona City Council, the Catalan Government and the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona, expressed willingness to help Apeco conduct a feasibility study for the proposed center.