TECHLOG Project Showcases Innovative Simulation Solutions at International Logistics Conference in Barcelona

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Between the 7th and 9th of June 2023, TECHLOG partners participated in the prestigious 25th edition of the International Logistics Conference (Salon Internacional de Logística) held in Barcelona. As the city transformed into the global logistics hub, TECHLOG seized the opportunity to present cutting-edge simulation technologies and their applications in the industry.

The TECHLOG booth featured a selection of Living Labs, including the highly immersive Euro Truck Simulator, designed to transport visitors into various international trade, logistics, and transport scenarios. “Our simulators accurately recreate realistic training environments for professionals in port logistics, such as truck drivers and crane operators. Moreover, they offer fair participants an immersive and informative experience, providing a comprehensive overview of the TECHLOG project,” explained Orlando Reveco, representative of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport, a valued TECHLOG partner.

Throughout the event, the TECHLOG project delivered special demonstrations showcasing its platforms and diverse applications. Notably, a truck driving competition utilizing the advanced simulator attracted attendees’ attention, highlighting how the use of simulation can enhance truck drivers’ skills, focus, safety, environmental efficiency, and sustainability. The competition brought an extra level of excitement to the International Logistics Conference which showcased the skills and expertise of participating attendees, who vied for the top spot in a challenging simulation scenario. The event was a resounding success, with two deserving winners emerging victorious, demonstrating their exceptional abilities and mastery of logistics operations.

Furthermore, TECHLOG partners took full advantage of the conference to foster collaboration and establish fruitful business connections. Multiple B2B meetings were held between the project partners and various industry stakeholders, including leading companies, logistics experts, and policymakers. These meetings provided a valuable platform for exchanging ideas, exploring potential partnerships, and identifying new avenues for technological transfer and innovation in the logistics sector. The engaging discussions and productive networking sessions further solidified TECHLOG’s position as a catalyst for positive change and advancement in the Mediterranean logistics landscape.

Beyond the booth activities, TECHLOG partners, stakeholders, and facilitators actively participated in the 19th MedaLogistics Summit, emphasizing the significant impact of technological transfer and innovation in simulation for companies. During the MedaLogistics conference on the 8th and 9th of June, prominent speakers including Eduard Rodés, Director of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport, Ahmed El Wakil, President of ASCAME, Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, Alaa Ezz, Secretary General of CEEBA, Gianfranco Fancello and Patrizia Serra from the University of Cagliari UNICA CIREM, and Rabih Sabra, General Director of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut & Mount Lebanon, presented the developed Living Labs. This showcase took place at the Agora, the main meeting space of the SIL conference, within the stand of the Port of Barcelona, an integral part of the city’s infrastructure.

TECHLOG’s active participation in the event proved to be a catalyst in fostering meaningful connections among influential stakeholders in the Mediterranean transport and logistics sectors. By showcasing the power of innovative simulations, the project demonstrated how experiential education can effectively transform the learning experience. This successful engagement reaffirms TECHLOG’s unwavering commitment to revolutionize the industry through state-of-the-art simulation solutions. With a focus on driving collaborative efforts and embracing innovation, TECHLOG strives to create a more efficient, sustainable, and interconnected logistics ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders involved. The project remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of logistics education and technology for the advancement of the Mediterranean region and beyond.

TECHLOG, a 30-month EU co-financed project with a total budget of €3.4 million, of which €3.1 million (90%) is funded by the European Union, aims to drive logistics innovation through technological transfer in the Mediterranean area. The project consortium comprises lead beneficiary University of Cagliari in Italy, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture of Maremma and Tirino (Italy), the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (Egypt), the European School of Short Shipping, EEIG (Spain), the Federation of Egyptian European Business Associations (Egypt), the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon (Lebanon), the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Sfax (Tunisia), and Sfax University (Tunisia).

The Escola Europea consolidated as an Accredited Agent for Internationalization

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The Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport has been accredited as an Agent for Internationalization Support by ACCIÓ, the Agency for Business Competitiveness of the Generalitat de Catalunya. Belonging to the Catalan Ministry of Business and Labour, it is the public organisation working to contribute to the transformation of Catalan companies.

The Escola is considered a key element in the country’s internationalization ecosystem, as it trains professionals in the field of logistics – a necessity in attaining talent for Catalan companies. As a result, as the Agency’s Internationalization Support Agent, it will be able to collaborate in the design and implementation of public policies in this area.

Having accredited Internationalization Support Agents allows for the creation of a space for debate on globalised support policies, defining a national internationalization strategy, promoting a systemic approach to collaboration among stakeholders, and fostering public-private partnerships through an open, transparent, co-responsible, participatory, and concerted system.

This accreditation falls within the call for the year 2023 for the accreditation of Agents for Internationalization Support for the period 2020-2024. The resolution confirms that the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport meets all of the requirements established for training entities.

Currently, there are about thirty accredited entities in various categories (advisory, promotion, training, and financing) that participate in plenary meetings. Additionally, through the Executive Council of Agents led by 7 entities, various thematic work groups have been created where interested organizations can participate.

With this recognition, the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport reaffirms its mission to provide quality training and support to the internationalization of the Catalan business fabric, in close collaboration with ACCIÓ.

Reflections from the Red Sea

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On the first Tuesday of May, 2023, I woke up with a feeling of anticipation. Looking out of the window of my hotel room, with the soon-to-be-hot sun only peeking out from the horizon across the desert landscape, I could sense the excitement of the two days to come.

It was the first day of the third Steering Committee meeting of the YEP MED project. I was in Aqaba, Jordan. All the project’s partners have travelled to the city – a breath-taking gateway to the Red Sea and to the entire region. The Aqaba Development Corporation has once again opened its doors to host yet another event from the European project. Here, on the banks of the Red Sea, where the Assyrian and Persian empires strived to build bridges between the different civilisations fighting for survival during ancient times, on that day partners from 8 different port communities from across the Mediterranean region met to work together to help establish Mediterranean excellence on the world stage.

As we all know, port authorities were not designed for projects like YEP MED. They were designed to build infrastructures, such as terminals, docks, piers, railways and roads among others.  However, the world is currently undergoing a significant transition, and public administrations, training institutions and private companies must adapt to new realities and embrace a different understanding of their roles. It is crucial that we recognize the changing landscape around us and make the necessary adjustments to ensure that we focus our efforts to meet the needs of our evolving society. What does this mean, on a micro-level? We need to adopt new educational methodologies and technologies, promote sustainability, and be mindful of the impact our actions have on the environment and future generations. We need to adapt.

We must also work towards building more inclusive and equitable societies, where everyone has equal opportunities to thrive. This requires a shift in mindset and a willingness to challenge the status quo.

To achieve sustainable social development from the lenses of port authorities and logistics communities, we need to break through the barriers of self-defence mechanisms, resistance, ignorance, and inertia that exist within the status quo. We need to advance gender equality, provide decent employment, education, and attract talented young people. This requires us to change our culture and build new logistics port communities that possess collective intelligence capable of identifying threats and opportunities – and acting on them. We must understand the new world that we are entering, and be willing to share, commit, and cooperate without leaving anyone behind.

YEP MED has paved the way forward in this regard, particularly during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic when resources were scarce. We were fortunate. By that I do not mean lucky, as to be fortunate means to have worked hard and made the right choices to achieve one’s objectives. Luck implies that success was achieved without much effort or intention. The support and funds of the European Union through the ENI CBC MED Programme help unite the people of the Mediterranean – and this help has been indispensible. The MEDPorts Association and its training and employment committee also played a fundamental role in bringing us together and helping us move forward. I would like to express my gratitude to Philippe Guillamet and Jordi Torrent – from MEDPorts – for believing in our project. I would also like to thank Gerard Navarro and his team for their excellent work in proposing a project that received an outstanding score during the evaluation process. Finally, I would like to underline the work of the Arab Academy, the Valenciaport Foundation, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Beirut and Mount Lebanon for their contributions, which helped make ours a high-quality project.

During our days in Aqaba, we reviewed the work that has been done under YEP MED during the 30 months since the project began. The data is encouraging – we can be optimistic without falling into complacency. Let us remember how we began – confined to our homes, in front of screens, with training centres closed down due to the global public health emergencies. But as often happens when work is part of the way we understand life, problems turned into opportunities. We have managed to train more than 3000 students from 7 countries, from which 45% were women. From that pool, 490 students went on to complete internships within their port communities, and from that pool, 350 secured employment. Moreover, we can also see new projects that point towards the future. The bonds that were made between us throughout this journey are strong and are guiding us towards new projects to help us collaborate together. Affections and personal relationships have been built, generating that collective intelligence that makes us better and allows us to improve our communities.

Let’s work together to develop the tools we have already set in motion and come up with new ideas for new adventures. We can use the MEDPorts Association as a launching pad, and we have other bodies and organizations that can help. We can start to build networks to keep us connected and evolving. We can continue to maximise our efforts, and utilize the knowledge, skills, and resources we have gained during this project.

This is the final stretch of YEP MED. Much like the ancient civilisations of the past, we can work together to build a talented, connected, and equitable Mediterranean.

Immersive learning

Immersive learning to take centre stage during SIL as the Escola Europea promotes its latest projects

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Immersive learning

The Escola Europea will take to the floors of the fair to not only present its signature training offer, but also to promote the international projects that it is involved in, along with its latest virtual immersive learning programmes.

Between the 7th and 9th of June, 2023, during the 25th edition of the International Logistics Conference (Salon Internacional de Logística), the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport will bring its virtual port community – Port Virtual Lab – to the fore. The SIL (Salón Internacional de Logística) will have its 25th edition, which annually turns the Catalan city into the world’s capital for logistics.

On the 6th of June, the Escola Europea will host a simulator competition in the framework of the TECHLOG project stand – a project funded by the ENI CBC Med Programme. The competition will highlight the benefits for companies and institutions of introducing simulation in advance trainings with the use of a special simulator – the Euro Truck. This simulator, through the use of immersive learning, can help truck drivers improve their driving skills by improving their ability to focus, reducing the risk of accidents, improving environmental efficiency, and encouraging sustainability. The competition will run through SIL, culminating on the 8th of June with the crowning of the winner. On this same day, the TECHLOG project and its benefits will be showcased in the stand of the Port of Barcelona.

The Escola’s virtual port community – Port Virtual Lab (PVL) – will be presented within the confines of the stand of the Port of Barcelona – one of the most important stands, being of the port of the city in which the conference takes place. Taking immersive learning to the virtual sphere, PVL offers opportunities for students to experience trade operations first-hand in secure and controlled scenarios that allow room for error whilst maintaining an authentic sense of real-life operations.

Alongside PVL, the Escola also will share with the enterprise community the different initiatives to attract and retain talent in the Port Community with the program  Vine al Port, fostered by the Port of Barcelona’s Training and Employment Work Group, which aims to bring the local training institutes closer to the realities of local companies, and therewith align the curricula offered with the skills sought for by the professionals of today and tomorrow.

Along with the activities that take place within the SIL, on the 8th and 9th of June, the 19th MedaLogistics Summit will take place. Eduard Rodés, the director of the Escola Europea, together with with Ahmed El Wakil, president of ASCAME, Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and Alaa Ezz, Secretary General of CEEBA, Gianfranco Fancello and Patrizia Serra from the University of Cagliari UNICA CIREM, and Rabih Sabra, General Director of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut & Mount Lebanon, will outline the beneficial impact of technological transfer and innovation in simulation for companies.

The Escola unites Northern, Central and Southern Italy within its classrooms through the incorporation of the Port of Palermo as the newest member

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With the incorporation of the Port of Palermo as a member of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport, the training centre unites the north, centre and south of Italy with a common purpose of encouraging training in logistics, sustainable transport and maritime intermodality.

APRIL 20, 2023 (CIVITAVECCHIA) – The Governing Board of the Escola Europea held its annual meeting on the 20th of April of this month at the headquarters of the Port of Civitavecchia.

Members of the Executive Committee of the Escola Europea during the annual meeting held on the 20th of April 2023.

From left to right: Alessia Mastromattei, Marta Miquel, Catalina Grimalt, Luca Lupi, Marco Muci, Eduard Rodes, Pino Musolino, (in the back) Silvio Ferrando, Lluís Salvador, Antonio Pedevila, Antonino Ilardi, Mario Massarotti, Marta Coppola, Agustí Filomeno

For the first time in the history of the organisation, the Governing Board, under the chairmanship of Lluís Salvadó, voted and unanimously approved the entry of a new member, the Port of Palermo and, therefore, the Authority of the Maritime Port System of Western Sicily, into the Escola Europea-Intermodal Transport. With the addition of the Port of Palermo as a general member, it joins the ranks of the founding members the Port of Barcelona, the Port of Civitavecchia, the Port of Genoa and the shipping companies Grimaldi Lines and Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV).

The meeting was attended by: the President of the Port of Civitavecchia, Pino Musolino; the Director of the Escola Europea, Eduard Rodés; the CEO of GNV, Matteo Catani, as members of the Governing Board. As a part of the Executive Committee, the Deputy Director General for Organisation and Internal Resources of the Port of Barcelona, Catalina Grimalt; the General Manager of Grimaldi Lines Spain, Mario Massarotti; the Head of Marketing and International Business of the Port of Genoa, Silvio Ferrando; GNV Board Member, Antonio Pedevilla; Marta Coppola, member of the Presidency Cabinet of the Port of Civitavecchia, attended. The newly incorporated to the committee Secretary General of the Port of Palermo, Luca Lupi was also present, in addition to the head of the Presidency Cabinet of the Port of Barcelona, Agustí Filomeno; and Marta Miquel, Chief Business Officer of the Escola Europea.

The board members reviewed the activities carried out by the Escola in 2022, which totalled 160 actions with 5,542 participants. It was a record figure in the history of the institution in terms of courses and participants.

In parallel, the Escola has participated in several European projects, such as YEP MED for the promotion of quality employment among young people in the Mediterranean, and TECHLOG, which is developing Living Labs for training with simulation in the port environment.

An immersive programme for Indonesian port executives

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This week the Escola Europea has welcomed 20 port executives from the Pelindo terminals located in Indonesia to the Port of Barcelona for an immersion in the good practices of the Catalan port.

Between the 14th and the 17th of March, the Escola Europea-Intermodal Transport, together with Deloitte Spain and their counterparts in Indonesia, carried out an immersive programme consisting of site visits, technical sessions and discussion forums with industry experts in Barcelona for a group of executives from Indonesia.

The executives of the public port company Pelindo came from the holding company and different sub-holdings of the group: maritime businesses, containerised terminals, bulk terminals and general cargo terminals. The group was led by the representative of the Ministry of Public Enterprises of the Government of Indonesia.

The objectives of the programme were to gain first-hand knowledge of Barcelona Port’s management, as well as to understand the design and execution of its strategic proposal, which orients its actions towards the monitoring of KPIs and the achievement of strategic objectives. The speakers who accompanied the group in the sessions came from the top levels of the port community, with the participation of executives such as Santiago Garcia-Milà from the Port of Barcelona, Eduard Rodés from the Escola Europea, Javier Gallardo from Portic, Gonzalo Bort from Tradebe, Carlos Artigas from Autoterminal, and Francisco Jimenez from Deloitte, among many other professionals and specialists in the sector.

The group attended various workshops and visits, including to the terminals BEST, Grimaldi, Tradebe, Autoterminal, the Busan-Barcelona (B2B) logistics centre and the Maersk shipping company’s warehouse in the ZAL (Logistics Activities Zone).

At the same time, the Indonesian delegation was interested in the training and employment work carried out by the Port of Barcelona through the Escola Europea and described this activity as a first step in collaboration in the field of professional development and human capital of the ports of Pelindo

Escola presents its current and future projects and training to Lluís Salvadó, the President of the Port of Barcelona

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As part of his welcome and incorporation into the presidency of the Port of Barcelona, Lluís Salvadó visited the Barcelona headquarters of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport (Escola Europea), a key player within the Port Community, to learn about new training initiatives and future projects.

On the 21st of February 2023, Lluis Salvadó, President of the Port of Barcelona and Chairman of the Governing Board of the Escola Europea, together with Catalina Grimalt Falcó, Deputy Director General for Organisation and Internal Resources of the Port of Barcelona and Member of the Executive Board, both representing the Port Authority of Barcelona, visited the headquarters of the Escola Europea to learn about the new training initiatives organised and promoted by the training centre, as well as the innovation, digitalisation and sustainable development projects of which the Escola is a part.

Welcoming the  visitors were the Eduard Rodés – Director of the Escola Europea, Concha Palacios – the Financial Director and Head of Projects, Marta Miquel – Business Development Manager, Mireia Ferré – Director of the Technical Office of Sustainability of the Port of Barcelona, Mireia Ferre, and, connected virtually from the headquarters of the Escola Europea in Civitavecchia (Italy), Marco Muci – the Country Manager for Italy.

At the meeting, the Escola’s training activities at both local and international levels were presented, which included Forma’t al Port Talent, the technical courses in maritime intermodality MOST – Motorways of the Sea Training, rail freight transport – SURCO, and management of temperature-controlled logistics chains, together with the training work carried out in Italy within the framework of the Formati al Porto programme and the GLIPS (Management of Integrated Logistics and Maritime Processes) training in Civitavecchia.

The training offer presentation was followed by a summary of the annual participation figures for the previous year, in which a record number of participants was broken with more than 5,542 participants. Of those, 2,111 were students from training and technical courses and 3,431 attended workshops and maritime visits in the Port of Barcelona. The participation figures forecast for the year 2023 showed an estimated 6% growth in student participation of logistics courses and workshops is planned.

The projects that have been consolidated by the institution were also presented to the Catalan port’s leadership: the YEP MED project – Youth Employment in Ports of the Mediterranean – with which a training offer on port logistics has been presented; and the TECHLOG project – Technological Transfer for Logistics Innovation in Mediterranenan area – which foresees the implementation of two ‘Living Labs’ from which the development of innovation actions with simulator technology is foreseen. Both European projects are financed by ENI CBC MED, in which different Mediterranean port communities are participating.

As part of the strategy of consolidation and evolution of the European YEP MED project, the Escola developed the Port Virtual Lab, a virtual simulation laboratory of a port community portvirtuallab.com.

In the photo are from left to right: Director of the Escola Europea, Eduard Rodés, Lluis Salvadó, President of the Port of Barcelona, Financial Director and Head of Projects, Concha Palacios, General Business Director, Marta Miquel, Catalina Grimalt Falcó, Deputy Director General for Organisation and Internal Resources, and Mireia Ferre, Director of the Port of Barcelona’s Technical Office for Sustainability.

In addition, some of the projects that point to the future and are in line with the trends of the Blue Economy, and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), were presented to respond to the training and innovation needs of the industry.

Participants of the inaugural edition of the SURCO Madrid course

The Escola’s takes its signature railway training to Madrid

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Promoting rail transport in the intermodal chain, the Escola Europea in collaboration with Puertos del Estado finalised the SURCO Operations II training in Madrid in rail operations.

This January 2023, the first edition of the SURCO – Simple Use of Railway Connections- training took place in Madrid, a training in which different professionals from the public administration and private companies were able to discover the management processes that allow the use of rail transport as a sustainable option in the intermodal chain in depth, in addition to expanding their knowledge of rail infrastructures and intermodal equipment.

For the participants, this was an opportunity to learn about key aspects of the design and management of intermodal chains that integrate the use of railways. Óscar Ródenas, from P&O Ferrymasters, was among the attendees. Reflecting on the course, he highlighted: “Magnificent teaching staff, I have learned a lot in some aspects in which I did not have such extensive and detailed knowledge as they have given me (railway costs, ferro-port terminals). The exchange of views, opinions and knowledge was also very interesting”.

This training, organised and created by the Escola Europea, with the collaboration of Puertos del Estado, Railgroup’s In-Move, the Port of Barcelona, Renfe, ADIF, Viia, Puerto Seco de Madrid, Puerto Seco de Coslada, SLISA and Suardiaz Rail, among other companies in the railway sector, aimed to offer professionals from companies and administrations in the sector a practical and real vision of railway intermodality operations.

After completing its first edition in Madrid, this course, like all editions of SURCO, fulfils the purposes set by the European Union to increase rail traffic and rail motorways in general, as an incentive to promote sustainable mobility in the region, as well as serves as a complement to the plans of the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda to try to boost rail freight traffic in Spain by making use of the so-called ‘eco-incentives’.

As part of the SURCO series, this training aimed to deepen the understanding of intermodal rail operations between ports and national and international rail inland terminals, focusing on the characteristics and advantages of this type of transport.

This was achieved through theoretical classes given at the Puertos del Estado headquarters, as well as through the resolution of a case study based on real operational scenarios. In addition, participants had the opportunity to learn about intermodal operations and infrastructures through visits to different terminals such as: the intermodal terminal in Coslada and the terminal in Azuqueca de Henares, as well as a visit to the freight and passenger CGO (operations management centre) in Atocha.

Participants of the inaugural SURCO Madrid course during a terminal visit

Theoretical classes focused on the management of railway systems, the European Transeuropean Transport Network, the impact of rail transport on the environment, national and international rail transport and procurement, and the analysis of the costs of rail transport chains.

It is in this context that knowledge of the different aspects surrounding rail freight transport is not only beneficial for professionals but also essential for companies involved in freight transport. This is where the offer of local and international courses and training for professionals, such as SURCO Madrid, takes on special importance.

For more information about the course, you can head to the course page: SURCO Madrid 2023 – Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport.

The War for Talent

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When I was younger, the search for employees was very different. Companies created preferred “job profiles,” which would remain unchanged for large periods of time. People would send in their job profiles and hope that they would be accepted for the advertised posts. Those with a university degree (any degree – as frequently the specialisation didn’t necessarily need to be directly linked to the job) were always held in higher esteem. The burden to fill the positions was carried by the unemployed.

We live in a different world now. Workers’ expectations for their professional careers and who they work for have changed. The pandemic has hastened a trend that was already gaining speed in the late ‘10s – of preferred workplace environments, possibilities for employee development and growth, and a work-life balance. On top of that, the rapidly changing nature of work fuelled by technological innovations and environmental ambitions has made job posts flexible, if not obsolete, flexible. This is true when we look at any industry, but when we look at the transport and logistics sector in particular.

The fight for talent

Attracting, identifying, and retaining talent is becoming one of the strategic issues for organisations in the post-Covid world. This is one of the exciting topics currently surrounding Port Logistics Communities (PLCs). Many of the members of these communities depend on each other, and thus the search for solutions and the effectiveness of any joint actions in this field is achieved through common work between different operators. Such inter-cooperation creates a working chain in which the weakest link represents the strength of the entire system. In practice this means that every person should do things to the best of their abilities to ensure overall success.

Until recently, a significant part of operator selection has been done traditionally through general testing and assessment of services. This approach is not ideal to effectively assess increasingly unpredictable or less repetitive operations, which require very short preparation and execution times, and where the margin for failure is small. Moreover, in today’s ever-connected world, it is necessary to rely on the quality of services provided by other participants in the operational chain, which makes individual evaluations complex. Increasingly, relationships must be based on a thorough knowledge of the way our suppliers operate, who then become collaborators and managers of different parts of the operations. Therefore, all of us must be concerned about the entire human element that makes up this team.

The quality of the Port Logistics Community is fundamental for its proper development.

The Port of Barcelona and the Training and Employment Group: a three-sided coin

The Training and Employment group of the Port of Barcelona’s Governing Council tries to help companies in the sector find and maintain the resources they need to adequately fill current and future vacancies. The companies in the port logistics sector are facing a new reality on a day-to-day basis: innovation has become the new fuel for companies, both due to the number of start-ups that pop up and because of the need for large companies to continuously reinvent themselves. This means that what until now was seen as a two-sided coin represented by training on one side and employment on the other, has now morphed into something new; with an third characteristic: innovation. This poses new educational challenges and calls for new training needs – for teachers and students – and new jobs.

To help respond to this situation, a programme made up of several sub-programmes was set up in Barcelona. Incorporating a 360º programme, the idea was to cover all levels of the ecosystem. This system has been called “Vine al Port” in Catalan (or “Come to the Port” in English). It encapsulates various sub-programmes that are aimed at specific audiences: “Descubreix el Port” (Discover the Port), “Aprenem Junts” (Learning together), “Format al Port” (Training in the Port), “Port Talent” (Port Talent) and “Benvingut al Port” (Welcome to the Port).

The goal of this innovative system is to help the Barcelona port community come out strong in the war for Talent by tackling the issues at the fore – identifying what are the training needs that the companies lack, creating training programmes that fill the educational gaps that may exist, helping young students understand the professions of the port community (and what the jobs themselves look like through experiential courses and internships), and then finally filling any existing (or new) positions with the best prepared new workers.

Conclusion

The Escola and the Port of Barcelona have now embarked on this journey to continuously improve the Port Logitics Community. The port must reflect and represent the entire port-logistics community, publicising how its companies treat their staff and how they embody their fundamental values and responsibilities. Doing so will facilitate the community’s public image and therewith help with the war for Talent.

Companies must focus on tangible benefits in the form of good remuneration, mutual health insurance, pension funds, training, promotion, location, etc. It is also important to establish an emotional connection based on initiatives linked to environmental issues, social work or volunteering. In this respect, the PLC can carry out actions that complement what individual companies do with activities such as the food bank or the “Solidarity Container”.

 And finally, a sense of belonging must be fostered so that the people who work in the PLC feel that they are working on a common project with a scope that goes beyond what each one of them could achieve. It is important that this is known, understood and shared. The Port Community should be built together, with the collaboration of all partners involved.

In the new year we will be focusing more on our involvement in this Talent War. Keep an eye out for more news from us which will explain, with great detail, what “Coming to the Port” means and how you, or your colleagues or friends, can get involved to help our Barcelona port thrive.

I wish all of you a fantastic holiday season! 2022 has been, for lack of a more elaborate word, fascinating! The Escola has grown – through our port community, our projects and our initiatives. I am very exited to continue sharing with you our work in the new year.

Bon Nadal I Pròsper Any Nou

 

Written by Eduard Rodés, Director of the Escola EuropeaEduard Rodés

President of the Training and Employment Working Group
Of the Governing Council of the Port Community of Barcelona
Director of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport
Barcelona 12 December 2022

The Escola and In-Move collaborate to promote railways

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On the 13th of this month, the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport, a European reference centre for training in logistics and intermodal transport, and Railgrup’s In-Move have signed a collaboration agreement in Barcelona to promote ther use of railway in the intermodal transport chain. 

With this agreement, both entities have committed to raise awareness among transport users and logistic operators to adhere to the European Union’s committment to increase the visibility and practicality of rail transport within the Economic area.

Both In-Move multimodal logistics cluster initiative and the Escola Europea have agreed to offer courses in Spain, which will be aimed at professionals responsible for managing logistics chains in which intermodal transport can be a profitable alternative in terms of service, cost or time. Through this agreement, both companies will form a comprehensive training proposal in intermodal maritime-rail freight transport.

The courses will provide participants with the knowledge and tools to analyse the different elements that are necessary to contract a traint in a transport operation, and understand all of the associated costs, as well as to learn about the infrastructures and intermodal equipment that enable rail transport to be used as part of the multimodal transport chain.

The experiential learning methodology provides a practical point of view, combining theoretical classes and practical visits to transport facilities, introducing the concept of ‘co-modality’ as a tool for improving transport management. In this experience, participants will have access to the railway-port infrastructures, where they will see the logistics and transport operations, their management and their development first-hand, allowing students to experience these operations in person.

Thanks to the agreement between In-Move and the Escola Europea, professionals seeking to specialise in the design of intermodal transport logistics chains will be able to access a unique training offer, designed by both entities and their collaborators –  expert professionals with extensive experience in the rail and maritime freight sectors.

With this commitment, the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transporte strengthens the current offer of its courses and training in rail freight transport which comprise of SURCO Operations I and SURCO Operations II.