Full Breakdown
Ashdod Port’s Roy Avrahami Leads IAPORTS Innovation Committee for First Time Outside Latin America
By Drooid · · How we work
Election of New Leadership
On September 28, Roy Avrahami, head of innovation and the corporate venture-capital arm at Ashdod Port Company, was elected by acclamation as president of the IAPORTS Innovation Committee for the 2026–27 term. The vote also installed Rogério Saran of Brazil’s Santos Port Authority as vice-president and Luis Pérez Madariaga of the Spanish technology firm Indra as second vice-president. This marks the first occasion that an IAPORTS committee presidency has been held by a Middle-Eastern port authority.
Committee Mandate and Regional Collaboration
The Innovation Committee is one of three IAPORTS Global Trends Committees, alongside Investment and Decarbonization. It convenes port authorities, terminal operators, technology companies and investors to discuss automation, port-community systems, data standards and artificial-intelligence applications. By bringing together a Middle-Eastern port, Latin America’s largest port complex and a European technology provider, the committee aims to translate cross-regional dialogue into pilots, team exchanges and commercial projects that address shared pressures to move more cargo with lower emissions.
Official Statements & Responses
Shaul Schneider, chairman of the board at Ashdod Port Company, said the appointment reflects the port’s strategic push to expand its international role and to showcase Israel’s port-technology ecosystem. Nissan Levy, CEO of Ashdod Port Company, highlighted the election as recognition of daily team efforts and the broader responsibility of ports beyond their own quays. Raquel Kibrit, executive director of IAPORTS, noted that the leadership lineup embodies the association’s goal of uniting innovators from diverse regions and sectors who rarely sit together.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This international appointment is an important milestone for Ashdod Port Company and reflects our strategic commitment to leading innovation and technological advancement across the global maritime sector,” — Middle East. Shaul Schneider, chairman of the board of directors at Ashdod Port Company
- “As Chairman, I am proud to see Ashdod Port extending its international leadership, sharing our operational expertise and investment ecosystem with global port leaders, and strengthening Israel's position as a hub for port technology.” — Nissan Levy, CEO of Ashdod Port Company
- “This election acknowledges the work our teams do every day, and a conviction we have held for some time: a port’s responsibility now extends beyond its own quay,” — Nissan Levy, CEO of Ashdod Port Company
- “For us, international cooperation delivers practical results: improving port operations, implementing technologies, and expanding business opportunities for the port and the innovative companies we work with.” — Roy Avrahami
- “IAPORTS was built on the conviction that the people moving the innovation agenda in ports are spread across regions and across the public and private sides of the industry, and that they rarely sit at the same table,” — Latin America. Raquel Kibrit, executive director of IAPORTS
