Summer School on Port Operations

The first edition of the Summer School on Port Operations brings together professionals and students

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As announced earlier this year, the first week of July saw the conclusion of the first edition of the Summer School on Port Operations. This new course brought to light the activities that take place in the Port of Barcelona, offered a detailed analysis of the operations involved and included a case study on the primary actors and central infrastructures.

The course has a duration of 5 days (25 hours) and follows the Escola’s traditional format complementing theoretical lectures with practical workshops, all of which take place within the port community of Barcelona. The first day of the 2018 Summer School focused on the relationship between the port community and all of the operations that take place, as well as on the services offered to vessels stationed at the port. The subsequent three days were filled with visits to port installations: the participants could visit the pilot control tower, the headquarters of the port police; the MARPOL waste collection facilities of ECOIMSA; and the border inspection point. They could also observe some of the equipment most used in port operations such as the tugboats and the scanners used for container inspection. The theories that sustain the dynamics of the port community and its operations have been presented from the perspective of the maritime transport.

Finally, the security protocols of the port were presented, alongside its Efficiency Network quality label. To conclude the course, the participants explored the fundamental elements needed when designing the port of the future: the environmental aspects of port area management and the energy efficiency strategies applied by the Port Authority of Barcelona.

All of the participants appreciated the unique experienced: “It seemed to me to be very interesting, well thought-out and well-driven by the Escola and its team” said one attendee. “A very complete and didactic course, thanks to the visits we were able to experience first-hand all of the actors that constitute the port” summarised another member of the group at the end of the week.

The teaching staff of the Summer School comprised: Enric Cortada, Director of the Control Tower of Maritime-Port Operations; Bernat Baró, Director of Corporate Security at the Port of Barcelona; José Luis González, Head of Land Operations at the Port of Barcelona; Jordi Vila, Head of Environment at the Port of Barcelona; Carles Rúa, Head of Innovation and Strategy at the Port of Barcelona; Félix González, Head of Management of the Boder Inspection Point; Ramon Rull, Head of Quality at the Port of Barcelona and Eduard Rodés, Director of the Escola Europea.

The Escola Europea is grateful for the support and collaboration received from Tradebe, the Company responsible for the MARPOL waste management, Rebarsa Group, the Pilotage Association, and from the entire port community which is always ready and willing to support the organisation’s training initiatives, no matter how elaborate and ambitious.

For more information you can visit the course page : https://escolaeuropea.eu/calendar/summer-school-port-operations/ or write to info@escolaeuropea.eu.

The Escola Europea trains professionals in intermodal railway logistics

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After the stellar successes obtained during the past editions of the SURCO series, the Escola has completed this summer’s SURCO Operations I course for Spanish professionals, which offered introductory training on intermodal railway logistics.

The course took place between the 2nd and the 4th of July 2018 in Barcelona. Designed for professionals of freight transport companies in the maritime and railway sectors and students of logistics and transport, it introduced an analysis of the different elements needed in order to offer efficient services in intermodal railway-maritime transport.

SURCO (Simple Use of Railway COnnections) courses aim to promote the use of railway transport by providing training and necessary information to those professionals who will decide on and manage logistics chains in the future in which the railway could be used as a viable alternative in terms of services, costs and time. They also work towards the promotion of co-modality as a viable and sustainable alternative to transport that relies primarily on the road.

During the 3 days the course participants had the opportunity to discover infrastructures and equipment involved in port-railway transport and learned about the regulations and documents necessary to manage rail freight transport services in intermodal interactions. The theoretical lectures covered maritime-rail transport and logistics, rail services required for freight transport, and rail terminals in ports. The July edition also offered a detailed analysis of the current situation in Spanish ports in terms of infrastructures, railway network characteristics, and the service zones, among other things. The theory was accompanied by practical visits to the Port of Barcelona (including trips to Hutchison BEST semi-automatic container terminal, AUTOTERMINAL car terminal and the solid bulk terminal Tramer, operated by ICL; a visit to a marshalling yard and to Logistainer, a logistic operator at CAN TUNIS complex; and a visit to ADIF’s integrated management centre.

SURCO Operations was carried out in collaboration with the Port of Barcelona, Adif, Autoterminal, FGC Ferrocarrils, ICL, Hutchison’s BEST Terminal, Transportes Portuarios and Transportes Tomás.

The educational focus of the Escola is based on research: students attend lectures and practical workshops that encourage collaborative work and group cohesion as a means to optimize the development of logistics chains.

For more information check out the SURCO section of our website.

Escola reunites logistics professionals in the second edition of the technical course on Groupage and Consolidation Centres

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From the 18th to the 20th of June the second edition of the technical course “Groupage and Consolidation Centres” of the Escola took place in Barcelona. This course edition was designed specifically for operators from a rapidly expanding sector: maritime groupage.

The course offered by the Escola is pioneering and innovative; it combines information on all the casuistry, processes, documentation and legislation that apply to a door-to-door groupage operation. The contents of the lectures vary from the characteristics of a warehouse, equipment and packaging, to import and export procedures, including technologies related to the operations as well as quality specifications. The participants have learned all about how groupage operations work, what actors are involved, what are the tendencies and the segmentation of the sector, as well as what are the key aspects necessary in contracting and managing efficient door-to-door groupage operations.

The participants from this course edition came from a diverse list of companies: Mercadona, transport and logistics companies Fercam, Bolloré Spain, Across Logistics, Transglory and Rheneus, and Kadion, as well as representatives from the Escola Europea itself.

With the goal of offering up-to-date and real contents, the Escola has once again sought the collaboration of speakers from specialized companies: Ernesto Romeu, president of the Romeu Group; Pablo Auger and Bernat Baruquer, director and head of customs and AEO of IFS International Forwarding respectively; Josep Carles Llagostera, the administrator of Customs of Barcelona; David Farzón, head of the consultancy and training department of Ibercóndor; Silvia Pueyo, general director of Globelink Uniexco; Alfonso Santa Isabel, commercial director of TM2; Jorge Selma, a lawyer specialized in maritime law, land and air transport; and Chelo Otero, commercial and marketing director of Portic.

The theoretical presentations were complemented by practical visits to local consolidation centres (ncl and IFS), as well as to one of Port of Barcelona’s container terminals – BEST.

The participants were satisfied with the course and would recommend it to professionals who have recently become involved in the sector. In the words of one of the participants from the Mercadona chain: “I liked the course, the sessions were very interesting and I have discovered a totally new world through your course.”

The Escola Europea promotes short sea shipping and sustainable transport at Spain’s biggest logistics fair – SIL

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The Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport has participated in the International Logistics Show of Barcelona – the annual logistics fair in Spain. Sharing a stand with one of its main shareholders –the Port of Barcelona­-, the Escola presented its training offer for the second semester of 2018 and promoted some of its projects; highlighting the growing influence and success of TransLogMED and Forma’t al Port.

In a presentation held on the last day of the fair, Ricardo Garcia highlighted the importance of short sea shipping and the motorways of the sea in the continued development of the Mediterranean corridor and the need to improve sustainable transport. With this in mind, the Escola has launched the TransLogMED project jointly with the Union for the Mediterranean. Through the promotion of international cooperation in transport transactions and by providing training in intermodal transport that knows no borders, the project aims to enhance the competencies and capabilities of transport and logistics operators from the Northern and Southern shores of the Mediterranean basin. The project has a scheduled lifeline of four years and will organise conferences and courses to implement its objectives.

In terms of its training offer, in the summer months the Escola will hold the second edition of its technical training for professionals, focused on Groupage Operations and Consolidation Centres (18-20 of June). This course will be followed by an edition of Escola’s SURCO Operations I, focusing on rail- maritime intermodality, which will take place in Barcelona between the 2nd and 4th of July. In mid-July it will be the time of the Escola’s first ever Summer School on Port Operations (9-13 of July), a course designed for all kinds of profiles, professional, academic or vocational. Finally, in the autumn, two editions of the Escola’s unique Motorways of the Sea Training (MOST) course will take place. The first of these, MOST Italy, will take place between the 29th of September and the 2nd of October and will focus on the intermodal routes with short sea shipping maritime links in Italy. The second course MOST Iberia (20-23 October) will take a closer look at the intermodal transport situation across the Iberian peninsula.

The Escola has been complementing its intermodal training package with the Forma’t al Port project, whose goal is to bring young students closer to the professional field of the port communities. For the past three years the Escola has worked with Catalan training centres on professional work experience programmes. The courses have been hugely successful and will now be extended to Italian centres through a sister project Formati al Porto.

Escola Europea to organise Motorways of the Sea Training courses for European professionals in autumn 2018

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This autumn the Escola’s MOST courses for professionals will return, with two editions scheduled for professionals coming from Italy and the Iberian Peninsula, respectively.

The aim of the MOST Management courses is to offer complete and concise training in intermodal maritime logistics, short sea shipping services and the motorways of the sea. The courses aimed at professionals combine lectures, workshops, terminal visits, navigation and networking. The course participants begin the theoretical training in intermodal transport and logistics at the headquarters of the Escola in Barcelona, and then board a Ro-Pax vessel of Grimaldi Lines en-route to Civitavecchia to continue the training along the short sea shipping route.

The Port of Barcelona, the Ports of Rome and Grimaldi Lines, three of Escola’s five founding partners, collaborate in the organisation of the upcoming courses in September and October. While MOST Italy will also be sponsored by Alis, RAM Spa, Assoporti, Confitarma and AssArmatori , MOST Iberia is co-sponsored by the Spanish State Ports (Puertos del Estado), the European Shortsea Network, the Spanish Shortsea Promotion Centre and the Portuguese Shortsea Promotion Centre–Intermodal Portugal. The teaching staff will comprise professionals from the European transport sector as well as academic experts.

The MOST Italy course will take place between the 29th of September and the 2nd of October. Its contents will focus more on intermodal transport in Italy itself, tailoring the contents for the course participants. MOST Iberia, similarly, will take place 20-23th of October and will emphasize intermodal transport aspects of the Spanish and Portuguese markets.

For more information on the Escola’s open courses head to the calendar section of our website.

European Ship Brokers and Agents choose Barcelona for its annual seminar

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The European Association of Ship Brokers and Agents (ECASBA) has chosen the city of Barcelona to celebrate its annual seminar this year.

In this way, the entity shows its support to the newly created Spanish Association of Consignment Agents (ASECOB), which already brings together a number of companies that carry out the activities of shipping agents and maritime agencies at a national level as well as the associations of consignees of the different ports of Spain.

A representative from the new association of Spanish consignee agents explained that this seminar is held annually in a community country, in alternation with Brussels.

This year it will take place on June 4 and 5 in Barcelona.

The first day will be held at the headquarters of the Escola Europea-Intermodal Transport. The first topic of the seminar’s agenda is the presentation of the SAILNET Programme, an exchange programme designed and powered by FONASBA in collaboration with the Escola Europea. The project aims to establish a network between education and training institutes in the maritime sector dealing with ports, shipping lines and logistics operators in order to strengthen skills across the seas. The project aims to reach its objectives using a study-internship alternation approach and better align them with the needs of the Blue Economy.

On Tuesday, June 5, the seminar will be held at the International Logistics Exhibition (SIL) in Barcelona. You can consult the full programme here.

“With a very high participation rate, the registration of professionals from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Holland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden and Spain, as well as the International Association (FONASBA) has already been confirmed”, added the representative from ASECOB.

The conference will include round tables on current issues, with a special focus on digital transformation. The presentations will be given by outstanding representatives of the Spanish and community administration, industry associations and leading companies in the sector.

Source: Diario del Puerto

The Escola Europea to promote intermodal and sustainable transport

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The Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport will once again participate in the International Logistics Salon of Barcelona – the annual logistics fair in Spain.

Sharing a stand with one of its main shareholders –the Port of Barcelona­, the Escola will present its training offer for the second semester of 2018 and promote some of its projects; highlighting the growing influence and success of TransLogMED and Forma’t al Port.

In the summer months the Escola will hold the second edition of its technical training for professionals, focussed on Groupage operations and Consolidation Centres (18-20 of June). This course will be followed by an edition of Escola’s SURCO Operations I, focusing on rail- maritime intermodality, which will take place in Barcelona between the 2nd and 4th of July. In mid-July it will be the time of the Escola’s first ever Summer School on Port Operations (9-13 of July), a course designed for all kinds of profiles, professional, academic or vocational.

In autumn three editions of the Escola’s unique Motorways of the Sea Training (MOST) course will take place. The first of these, MOST Italy, will take place in September and will focus on the intermodal routes with short sea shipping maritime links in Italy. The second course MOST Iberia will take a closer look at the intermodal transport situation across the Iberian peninsula.

The Escola has been complementing its intermodal training package with the local Forma’t al Port project, whose goal is to bring young student closer to the professional ambience of the port communities. For the past three years the Escola has worked with Catalan training centres on professional work experience programmes. The courses have been hugely successful and will now be extended to Italian centres through a sister project Formati al Porto.

The other project to be promoted at SIL is TransLogMED. Through the promotion of international cooperation in transport transactions and by providing training in intermodal transport that knows no borders, the project aims to enhance the competencies and capabilities of transport and logistics operators from the Northern and Southern shores of the Mediterranean basin.

To find out more, come meet us at SIL at the stand D448 – E557. Alternatively you can write to info@escolaeuropea.eu.

The Escola Europea signs collaboration agreement with Spediporto-Genoa

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On the 13th of May 2018 the director of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport Eduard Rodés travelled to Genoa to sign an agreement of collaboration with the president Dott. Alessandro Pitto of Spediporto-Genoa. The meeting took place alongside the association’s annual general assembly which followed the theme “Meeting our goals: connect, perform, excel”.

The agreement was signed in the framework of the Escola’s new Formati al Porto project. It specifies the incorporation of its proven intermodal training modules in the courses offered by Spediporto over a period of three years.

The educational focus of the Escola is based on research: students attend lectures and practical workshops and work on a case study in groups, which encourages collaborative work and group cohesion as a means to optimize the development of logistics chains.

Founded by 13 entrepreneurs, the Spediporto Association of couriers and carriers of Genoa has established itself as a reality of excellence able to provide qualified and highly professional services. It focuses its activities on the telematic development for the computerization of operational processes; the internationalization of associated members; providing training for the staff of associated companies; and fostering the partnership with the Port of Genoa and other local actors in the transport sector.

For more information on the Escola you can write to info@escolaeuropea.eu. For more information about Spediporto – Genoa, you can visit the association’s website: http://www.spediporto-genova.com/

The Escola Europea inaugurates its Classroom of the Stars

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On Thursday the 5th of April the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport held the inauguration ceremony for its new Classroom of the Stars (Aula dels Estels) in Barcelona.

The Escola has, since its founding, strived to offer formative excellence based on original and innovative formats through unique and practical courses. The inauguration of the new classroom has cemented the centre’s strategy and emphasized that the institution will continue this line of innovation and excellence. The partners of the Escola were clear that “training is a tool for advancement and progress”, as stressed by its president Sixte Cambra, of the Port of Barcelona. The Aula dels Estels will give the Escola an additional tool to continue its mission of providing excellent training to students and professionals alike.

The ceremony of the new classroom, located in the maritime terminal of Drassanes of the Port of Barcelona, with fantastic views of the area, was complemented by an interesting conference in which professional experts in conflict resolution, team cohesion, leadership and neuroeducation shared their knowledge with the attendees.

 

The educational focus of the Escola is based on research: students attend lectures and practical workshops and work on a case study in groups, which encourages collaborative work and group cohesion as a means to optimise the development of logistics chains.

The Escola Europea gains 175 alumni following three courses for University and professional students

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This March and April the Escola Europea has opened its doors to students from universities and professional training centres in France and Spain.

On the 24th of March, 76 students of logistics and supply chain from the Promotrans centres in Lille and Toulouse (in France) arrived in Barcelona to embark on the MOST (Motorways of the Sea Training) Management course.

On the 14th of April 42 students of logistics and maritime business from Tecnocampus Mataró (affiliated with the University Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona) also began the 4-day long MOST Management course, which takes place in Barcelona, on board of a Grimaldi Lines Ro-Pax vessel on the crossing between Barcelona and Civitavecchia, and in Civitavecchia.

The aim of the MOST course is to offer complete and concise training in intermodal maritime logistics, short sea shipping services and the motorways of the sea. The courses are aimed at both professionals and students of logistics, transport and international commerce. In both cases, the students began the theoretical training in intermodal transport and logistics in Barcelona, and then boarded the Ro-Pax vessel Cruise Roma to continue the training along the short sea shipping route between the two Mediterranean cities.

The Port of Barcelona, the Ports of Rome and Grimaldi Lines collaborated with the Escola in the organisation of these courses. The teaching staff comprised professionals from the European transport sector as well as academic experts.

This week, the recently inaugurated classroom of the Escola Aula dels Estels was filled with 57 students of transport management, logistics and international commerce coming from the EAE Business School of Barcelona. The students took part in the Escola’s MOST Intermodality course.

Unlike the other two courses, this training did not include a trip on board of the ferry. Nevertheless it also offered a balanced rotation between theoretical lectures and practical workshops. The contents of the theoretical classes focused on intermodal logistics and the motorways of the sea; the port of Barcelona as a principal node for intermodal transfers; innovation in the transport sector; the management of port terminals and the Border Inspection Point and the presentation of an intermodal transport real case. The practical visits helped the students visualise the concepts explained during the lectures as they are applied in real life. Aside from the maritime visit of the port during which the different terminals of the Port of Barcelona were pointed out, the group could visit some of the terminals and witness their operations from the perspectives of their employees. The terminals that were visited were: Grimaldi Lines (including a workshop of a ro-pax vessel’s hold), Autoterminal, APM Terminal, the Border Inspection Point (PIF – according to its Spanish acronym), and LOGISTAINER, a logistics warehouse.

“I liked it a lot. It was very interesting to see in practice all the aspects of the operations described in the theoretical classes.”

“Without a doubt I would recommend this course to anyone interested in the subject! For my part I have learned and I have had a good time. I will certainly remember this experience”

With these comments, a student of EAE Business School and another of Tecnocampus confirmed the high level of satisfaction felt by the students at the end of the training.

The educational focus of the Escola is based on research: students attend lectures and practical workshops and work on a case study in groups, which encourages collaborative work and group cohesion as a means to optimize the development of logistics chains.