Participants of the MOST Italy GLIPS course

Escola Europea gets back on board with MOST Italy “GLIPS” course

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Between the 6th and the 11th of November, the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport organised an innovative course with 35 participants to celebrate the first edition of the MOST Italy – GLIPS course.

The group was mainly composed of professors and students from the programme in “Management of Integrated Logistics and Shipping Processes” (or GLIPS according to its Italian name). The programme, of which the Escola is founder together with the Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mar Tirreno Centro Settentrionale and the ITS Fondazione “G. Caboto”, is based in Civitavecchia (Italy).

The class met in Civitavecchia to undertake a 6-day course on sustainable intermodal logistics, EU environmental policies, the motorways of the sea, and above all to expand their professional and human networks. During the navigation of the Ro-Pax ferry “Cruise Roma” of Grimaldi Lines along the crossing that connects Civitavecchia and Barcelona the participants were able to share knowledge, experiences and exchange views with experts in the field throughout the course.

The students were accompanied by a group of expert teachers including the Director of the Escola Europea, Eduard Rodés, Escola Europea’s Country Manager for Italy, Marco Muci, the CEO of ILP Consulting, Andrea Campagna, the Deputy Director of ALIS, Antonio Errigo and experts from the AdSP of the Central and Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, Sacha Campo and Luca Lupi.

The course included educational visits between Italy, Spain and France, thus giving the opportunity to learn about the different management and logistics models in the European countries visited. In particular, the participants were given guided maritime visits to the Port of Civitavecchia and Barcelona, a visit to the logistics-port area of Barcelona (ZAL, APM Terminals and Autoterminal); the intermodal freight village and the railway junction of Perpignan (France); as well as visits made to the vessel itself during the journey, such as to the bridge or to the loading area.

To conclude the course, participants solved a real case study of short sea shipping feasibility, applying direct and external cost calculations to evaluate alternatives from an economic, environmental and social point of view. It was a “very interesting and well organised course, more experiences like this should be done,” as attested by one of the participants who successfully completed the training.

It is now possible to visit the web page completely dedicated to the project: https://www.italia.escolaeuropea.eu/

Escola Europea visits Beirut to promote the European YEP MED project

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During the visit, meetings were held with local stakeholders during which the outputs of YEP MED were discussed, and plans were laid out for the future.

Eduard Rodés and Marco Muci from the team of the Escola Europea travelled to Beirut on the 16th of November 2021 to meet with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon – one of the partners of the YEP MED project. They have been welcomed by Mr. Sabra, who also greeted other attendees of the meeting who represented the stakeholders of the port of Beirut.

The meeting progressed with a presentation from Mrs. Hana Haidar from the Beirut Chamber, who described the objectives achieved in the preparation of the courses for students of International Trade in Beirut, both in the training of trainers and in the realisation of the courses for students, who have completed the visits to the port.

Mr. Eduard Rodés explained the development of the YEP MED Project, its objectives and the changes the project underwent as a result of the global health crisis. The electronic platform portvirtuallab.com and the ERP programme of Click&Cargo – born out of the new online reality that emerged in the past year – were then demonstrated.

The new training model proposed by the YEP MED Project was also discussed, in which the roles of the teacher and the students are redefined through the active participation of the students in the development of the training content and in which the teacher takes on the role of a tutor.

To finish the day, a debate was held among the participants, with a representative of the local freight forwarders group highlighting the need for the sector to be able to rely on trained personnel to face the digital transitions taking place across the industry.

Meeting participants:

  • Eduard Rodés – Director – Escola Europea
  • Marco Muci – Italy manager – Escola Europea
  • Elie Zakhour – President of the international Chamber of Shipping – Beirut
  • Marcel Hinain – Vice Chairman for External relations – American University of Technology
  • Swansan Wazzan – Board Member – Chamber of Beirut and Mount Lebanon
  • Ziad Kenaan – Chairman – Director General of Beirut Container Terminal
  • Walid Lattouf – President Lebanese Forwarders Syndicate
  • Antoine Gharios – CMA CGM 

The YEP MED project has a budget of €2.9m, with a 10% contribution from the European Union, and a duration of 30 months since it began in September 2020. For more information you can contact Concha Palacios from the project office at concha.palacios@portdebarcelona.cat or head to the website.

Port of Damietta

Damietta Port: Youth in the Heart of the Maritime Industry

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Damietta Port is one of the leading Egyptian Ports in the Mediterranean. It acts both as a gate for local imports and exports and as a hub for the transshipment trade in the East Mediterranean. It is a place also for many petrochemical industries; including LNG, methanol and propane. The port handles an average of 40 million tonnes of containerized goods and general cargo per year. Damietta Port is well connected to its hinterland through a multimodal network that includes roads, rail, river and pipes, and this is why the port is able to serve almost the whole Egyptian market of more than 100 million people. To meet the expected increase in demand, the Damietta Port Authority is implementing an expansion plan by establishing the 2nd container terminal and a new multipurpose terminal with a total capacity of about 5.3 km of quays.

Damietta Port has a large community of partners from public and private sectors, all working closely together to provide the best services for our clients. In fact, Damietta is the lead between Egyptian ports in the fields of Information Technology, safety & security, environmental protection and social responsibility. The Port Authority is committed to play an effective role in community development and social participation. Human resources development is an essential part of our sustainable development plan. The port sees the youth as the pulsating heart of the maritime industry and its vision is to create a base from young men and woman qualified to work in port-related activities in the future.  To achieve that, the port authority implements a yearly plan for youth training with the aim of building their capacities and giving them opportunities to acquire new skills and competencies in fields related to maritime transport and port operations.

To that end, Damietta Port Authority provides training courses to an average number of 1000 trainees of young males and females every year. Training is offered from both theoretical and practical sides for academic students and fresh graduates from the Damietta governorate and other neighboring governorates. Our training courses cover many fields like basic business skills, English language, port management and operations, occupational safety and health, IT, marine services, environment protection, engineering…etc. It harnesses its assets from trainers, classrooms, marine units, and workshops to provide students with a fruitful learning experience. In addition to that, we have built a long-term partnership with professional training providers like the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport. Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, we continued our training plan for youth through online channels.

In a culmination of our efforts in that field to date, the Damietta Port Authority (DPA) and the Port Training Institute (PTI) have participated in the YEP MED project “Youth Employment in the Ports of the Mediterranean“ which is co-financed by the European Neighborhood Instrument (ENI) of the European Union. The project aims to build the capacities and develop the skills of young people from participating port communities, which includes the Damietta governorate, helping them be qualified for work in logistics and port-related activities with training courses in 3 main areas: foreign trade, sustainable development and port logistics. On the 28 March 2021, DPA and PTI have started successfully the training activities with the 1st vocational training course. The port is currently preparing to launch the 1st occupational training course by November 2021.

On Monday, July 12, 2021, Damietta Port Authority and Port Training Institute have signed an institutional agreement with Damietta Port Community for cooperation under the YEP MED project. The MoU has been signed by Rear Admiral/ Waleed Mostafa Awad – DPA Chairman with a number of 12 partners, representing all port sectors; terminal operation, stevedoring & warehousing, inland transportation, shipping agency, customs clearance in addition to academic education and dual training. The project’s local partners will help  provide the practical side of training and internships to students in order to increase their opportunities for getting jobs in the field of logistics and port operations in both public and private sectors.

Damietta works with the Escola and all other YEP MED partners from other countries to share experiences and best practices together in order to maximise the project’s end results as professional and efficient as planned.

Finally, as  youth is the backbone and future of maritime industry, the port will continue working with our partners to build its and their best possible future.

The EU-funded projects YEP MED and INTERNISA support and upskill young Lebanese women in time of crisis

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In today’s difficult economic climate in Lebanon where young Lebanese women have very little hopes in attaining successful professional careers, the EU-funded YEP MED project came at a crucial time to support the Lebanese youth and provide it with strength and hope to believe in a better tomorrow, as well as ease their entries into the labour market through the offered training programmes in the field of port logistics. The first bunch of 33 YEP MED graduates obtained the “YEP MED Port Logistics Training certification” signed by Chamber of Commerce of Beirut and the Escola Europea -Intermodal Transport from Barcelona last July. Among these graduates, a few of the young women showed interest in enrolling in the training programmes offered by another EU-funded project – namely INTERNISA – which promises to enhance the digitalisation of the skills of young women skills.

Josiana Beaino (18 years) – 2nd year in USEK majoring in Transport and Logistics

“The YEP MED training given in April 2021 was honestly my favourite programme since I became a transport student and I care about encouraging young women and men in the port logistic sector. YEP MED was an amazing experience for me and I am willing to participate in other trainings as well related to transport and logistics.  I encourage every Lebanese woman to join and learn new skills through two training programs offered by the EU funded projects, namely YEP MED and INTERNISA.  These programmes help a lot empowering women and boosting up our skills in many arenas. I personally enrolled in the YEP MED training programme and got certified in port logistics sector where I acquired further knowledge in the blue economy alongside the simulation exercises of import and export in sea transportation. These newly acquired skills will make a huge difference in my future and will positively impact my career expectations. On another hand over the past five days I learned a lot and developed new skills in digital transformation and communication skills. But what I liked the most is the self-awareness journey that inspired me to evaluate my skills, identify myself and ask myself so many questions in order to self-explore because there is no better time for it than the present. I really enjoyed both training programmes – YEP MED and INTERNISA – and I am looking forward to join similar trainings programmes.”

The two projects – YEP MED and INTERNISA – fall under the same thematic priority of the ENI CBC Med Programme – to enhance social inclusion and fight against poverty. The ultimate objective of the Chamber of Commerce of Beirut is to create a synergy between diverse development actions initiated by EU funded projects in order to upscale the Lebanese youth talents’ pool – namely women – by optimising their access to jobs or internships opportunities and enhancing their faith in future career paths in Lebanon.

The YEP MED project is financed by the European Union and involves partnerships with key ports and maritime training institutes from 7 Mediterranean countries namely, Spain, Italy, France, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon which is represented by the Chamber of Commerce of Beirut and Mount-Lebanon. The project aims to strengthen the networks between the different port communities’ and build up the youth employment in blue sector across the Mediterranean basin.

Sarah Abi-Younes (22 years) – Bachelor in Transportation management

“I believe that the YEP MED training programme represents a good step that gave me -and gave us- a lot of prospects and opportunities. I also gained valuable experience from professional instructors and I hope I can join every training prepared by this programme in the near future. It was a pleasure for me to be part of the two extremely interesting courses  of the YEP MED and INTERNISA projects that I attended within the same year 2021. I learned a lot during these trainings which were so interactive and practical based on case studies and simulations. The instructors were very knowledgeable: they explained very well and always engaged us to participate and share our ideas and insights. As we know the economic situation is very bad in our country therefore we admit that we may start by low scale positions and then grow gradually through capacity building programmes and trainings. We are a generation that lived very tough situation however through more beautiful days we will rise again.”

 

INTERNISA training programme – a glance of hope for Lebanese young women

Following the identification of a digital skills gap of Lebanese young women across key economic sectors, and based on the related developed training curricula, the Chamber of Commerce of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, a key partner of the EU funded project INTERNISA, organized a multi modular training programme over two weeks dedicated to young Lebanese women from diverse cultural and geographical areas. 55 young Lebanese women took part in this online training programme, which took place between the 4th and the 19th of  October 2021. In spite of the unprecedented economic collapse and ascending youth unemployment rates  in Lebanon, this initiative, which aims to enhance social inclusion and fight poverty,  represents a genuine opportunity for the Lebanese youth to improve their skills and competences, make them more marketable to the labour market and keep them believing in a better tomorrow.

Farah Damaj (25 years), Bachelor Degree in Civil engineering

“Enrolling in the YEP MED’s training programme which encourages young women to participate in port maritime sector allowed me to enhance my knowledge in all fields related to port logistics especially in networking with experts. As a Lebanese young woman, I enjoyed participating in YEP MED training programme as well as INTERNISA’s, which helped me to facilitate my access to the labour market especially in the current circumstances of high rates of unemployment and lack of job opportunities. So, it was a great chance to get trained in these two different programmes funded by the EU in which the focus was to equip women with required skills and competences to allow them join the labour market. So I benefited from the technical knowledge in a promising sector which is the port logistics while I boosted up my digital innovation skills which will help me in my job later on.”

INTERNISA aims to develop a network to enhance/contribute to the digitalisation of the skills of young women. Its objective is to increase the number of digitally trained women in the European Neighborhood territories through the matching of demand and supply in the labour market. This project is led by the Macedonia Region in Greece, in partnership with 8 organisations from municipalities, training institutions and youth agencies at the Mediterranean Sea from Spain, Italy, Greece, Palestine, Jordan, Tunisia and Lebanon.  The Chamber of Commerce of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, a key partner in this project, is the leader of the capacity building programme, which aims to develop training curricula, tools and digital programmes in the agro-food, textiles, finance, and tourism sectors.

Nour Riman (28 years) – Studying Business management in AUCE University

“I have studied accounting over the past 3 years. I then worked for Touch tele-communication company in data entry and documentation and also as a supervisor in Spinneys. However, the economic situation suspended my job experience in view of devaluation of salaries and the financial crisis. That’s how I have become unemployed 7 months ago. Therefore, I would like to thank YEP MED and INTERNISA projects for the informative and inspiring workshops that I have had the chance to enroll in recently. The sessions were fruitful and enjoyable. A big thank also for the trainers who gave all efforts to involve us in interactive activities which made us partners during the sessions. Both training programmes provided us with handouts and training materials that I just needed to boost my knowledge in many areas, namely the simulation applications and digitalisation tools that are much requested nowadays to excel in the job market. I finished the sessions with many takeaways that I can put into practice in the port logistics field as well as in digitalisation transformation and I look forward to attending future innovative trainings organised by EU projects.”

New Technologies, New Technical Skills

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We are currently witnessing a new industrial revolutions – with the exponential evolution of technological advances, jobs are disappearing and new jobs are emerging across all sectors. All of this was further accelerated with the development of the Covid-19 pandemic, which drove many professions into the digital sphere. This did not leave the transport sector untouched. The conventional maritime careers of the the late twentieth century are evolving, and therefore it is important for the educational sector to keep pace with these changes to make sure that the future workforce is well prepared. This is why the work that is being done by the European YEP MED project is vital – the partners have been working together with the local professional and educational sectors in the participating countries to create custom-made training curricula that enable the students to experience realistic transport operations in a safe and controlled virtual environment.

The need for new technical skills brought by the new emerging technologies was highlighted by Capt. Anwar Buftain,  the Team Leader Fleet Personal of the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company, which is reproduced below.

Post-Pandemic Virtual World

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes in the way we are doing business, leaving hundreds of thousands of employees working from their homes and thus redefining the concept of “distance”. Seafarers faced unprecedented worldwide lockdown and severe travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis has taught us that things can go horribly and unexpectedly wrong at times, Keep learning something new, keep enhancing your skills. You never know what might help in times of crisis.

Written by Anwar Buftain, Team Leader Fleet Personal Kuwait Oil Tanker Company

In the Digital Era, where our life relies on digital products much more than in previous decades, digital activities have been helping us in many fields, ranging from daily life to scientific research and from automated production to school learning. The technology development accelerates, emerges, and touches everyone, us as individuals, consumers, ship owners, and operators, regulators, policymakers, and the public as all. We have witnessed this transmission and sensed the short period of time required for transiting new developments into mature technologies. Lloyd’s Register, reported in Global Marine Trends 2030 (GMT 2030) the extensive technology revolution, how it will play out differently in commercial shipping, naval, and ocean space sectors.

After examining more than 56 critical technologies that might be developed and implemented in 2030 and selected 18 technologies for further studies. In this new reality, the interrelationship between technologies and sectors became crucial. Commercial Shipping in 2030 will have a significant impact on vessel system design and vessel operations. The competition will encourage technology sophistication and operational efficiency to gain commercial advantages by including propulsion and powering, shipbuilding, and smart ship. Maturing technology is ripe for transfer to vessel system design and operation to enhance safety as well as financial and commercial performance, by the development of sensors, robotics, big data analytics, advanced materials, and communications. Where these eight technologies are connected to each other.

The question here, Is our seafarers ready to face these expectations, new challenges, and technologies! We believe that our seafarers should develop more skills than non-technical soft skills like communication skills, leadership, team management, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.

A basic understanding of computers became a must, demonstrate understandings of hardware and software, and intermediate to advanced computer skills are commonly desired. Significant skills are required due to job roles changes by 2030, with a systematic assessment, Seafarers should have new significant technical skills, for instance, interacting with robotics like fire fighting robotics. Demonstrate technical skills to cope with developed wireless communications like electromagnetic waves, the congestion of shared spectra, and the use of the allocated spectral band, high order modulation, and pulse shaping. Technical skills related to wireless sensor technology and the new generation of micro- and nano mechanical sensors for monitoring data. And understanding of smart ships new technologies and operating procedures.

 

* This article first appeared in the Arab Mariner Specialized Maritime Newsletter – Issue No. 7, Winter 2021

Stakeholders of the “Formati al Porto” project meet to review the academic achievements of 2020-2021

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The annual meeting of the Formati al Porto Academic Committee was held via videoconference on the 22nd of October. The meeting was convened by the President of the project, Prof. Andrea Campagna, and the Country Manager for Italy from the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport, Marco Muci.

The “Formati al Porto” project, strongly supported by the AdSP of the Central-Northern Tyrrhenian Sea and the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport, aims to make it easier for today’s students – who will be the professionals of the future – to learn about the professions of the port-logistics sector, with a specific focus on maritime activities and sustainable intermodal transport.

The stakeholders of the project participated in the meeting, including: Eduard Rodés, Director of Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport, Gianni Marinucci representing the AdSP of the Central-Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, Francesco Benevolo, Director of RAM, Antonio Errigo, Vice-Director of ALIS, Lidia Rossi for Confitarma, Luca Brandimarte for Assarmatori, Leonardo Picozzi for Ports of Genoa, Enrico Mosconi for the University of Tuscia, Mauro Adamo for ITC “G. Baccelli”, Clemente Borrelli, Director of ITS “G. Caboto”, Martina Trincia also of ITS “G. Caboto”, Laura Castellani, Director of ITSSI, Biagio Provenzale, Director of ITS Logistica Puglia, Marco Grifone of ITS MO.ST and Marco Muci, Project Secretary of Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport.

The videoconference brought together for the second time some of the main entities of the Italian maritime cluster and the intermodal logistics sector. During the meeting, the results obtained from the courses held during a difficult period were presented.  In spite of the various restrictions linked to the global health crisis, it was possible to achieve great results, as witnessed by the large number of participants. In addition, the new online courses have enriched the training offers, and new partners and training centres have joined. The international YEP MED projet and the many opportunities it will offer were of great importance and were also highlighted during the day.

The Academic Committee is committed to supporting the project, investing above all in the human factor, i.e. young students, and thus enhancing the educational offer of the local territories.

The primary objective of Formati al Porto is to create and strength a well-prepared logistics community, capable of facing future challenges and strategically placing Civitavecchia at the forefront of Mediterranean logistics activity.

The role of the project is to bring students into direct contact with the community and port-logistics activities and to learn, through first-hand experiences, the characteristics of port-related professions. The project will also improve the alignment between the qualifications required by companies and the skills offered by the local educational system, thus favouring the creation of quality employment through the possibility of alternating school-work.

The training, in line with the Escola’s signature teaching approach, is delivered by experts and professionals from the Italian and international sectors, ensuring participants receive high quality educational content. The teaching team of each course is composed of representatives of companies and institutions directly involved in the management of short sea shipping and the sustainable logistics sector in Italy.

For more information, you can always head to the website of the project: https://www.italia.escolaeuropea.eu/

YEP MED meeting - October - Civitavecchia

YEP MED to launch second round of occupational training courses for the Italian youth

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“Occupational training”. A new course of the EU-funded project YEP MED for future professionals in the transport and logistics sector has been launched in Civitavecchia

 

On the 26th of October, representatives of the Italian partners of the European YEP MED project met in Civitavecchia to finalise the planning and scheduling of new courses for the training of future professionals in the field of port management and logistics. The project is funded under the ENI CBC Med Programme of the European Union.

This meeting, previously announced in the summer months, brought together the local partners of the Civitavecchia port community and representatives from the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport – the project leader. The partners discussed the new calendar of “occupational training” courses.

This will be the second cycle of highly specialised vocational training courses, which gives the students the opportunity to develop skills in the logistics and intermodal sectors in the participating countries to facilitate the development and promotion of new Motorways of the Sea that connect the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean. The courses will start mid-November. The coordination committee, which met at the headquarters of the Port System Authority of the Central-Northern Tyrrhenian Sea (AdSP), is proceeding with the evaluation of the teachers and the development of the selection procedures for participants. In the next few weeks the publication of the call for applications will take place, which will be advertised on the AdSP website and on the social media channels of the port authority.

About YEP MED   

The YEP MED project, led by the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport, aims to develop port-logistics training and vocational (TVET) resources adapted to sector needs to strengthen youth employability; increase and upgrade local employment opportunities through the creation of real dual-learning programmes with job placements, strengthening the role of SME’s operating in the port ecosystems for future employment creation; and set up collaborative national and transnational partnerships between port-logistics associations, operators, SMEs, training centres and VET providers, whilst introducing a PPP co-management process.

The project counts on the participation of partners from Spain, Italy, France, Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan. Throughout 30 months, the partners and associates of the project will implement tools to achieve the main objectives of this initiatives, in the short, medium and long terms. For a full list of partners of the YEP MED project, you can go to the project’s website.

As associated entities, MEDPorts association and Consell Valencià de la Joventut will also join the project. The project will receive 2.9 M€ (90% EU Contribution) in funding over its lifetime.

For more information on the project you can contact Concha Palacios from the project office at concha.palacios@portdebarcelona.cat.

Medports Training Programme

The Escola Europea takes one step closer towards sustainable transport

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From 13 to 15 October, the Escola organised the first edition of the course “LNG in ports: port systems, its rates and operational management” – a specialised training course in sustainable transport on the role of natural gas in Spanish ports. The training, specifically designed for personnel from the Enagás company, welcomed members of the company’s logistics and commercial departments, as well as staff from plants in Barcelona, Huelva and Cartagena.

The training covered the organisation of the Spanish port system, with a particular focus on the system of port charges, the establishment of the new customs regulations and, in great detail, their application in the use of natural gas, the typology of natural gas-fuelled vessels and the bunkering processes from application to supply.

A second edition of the training is planned for November.

Continuing in providing training in sustainable transport, on the 19th of October the Escola will start a new training course on Energy Transition, designed within the framework of the MedPorts Association, which brings together the ports from all around the Mediterranean. This training will cover topics related to legal regulations and the decarbonisation of the port system, energy transition tools in terminals and port areas, energy transition tools in transport, and the role of port authorities in this transition.

The speakers in this course will include experts from the port and energy sectors from companies and administrations such as DG Move, the Port of Barcelona, ESPO, IREC (Institut de Recerca de l’Energia de Catalunya), the Energy Efficiency Cluster of Catalonia, Cenit, Cefiner, Schlaich DAUSS SLP, HolaLuz, Solve Consulting, the Port of Antwerp, as well as other members of the association such as the Valenciaport Foundation, the Arab Academy and the Port of Marseille.

This training will be the first of a series of trainings developed for this partnership.

UN Sustainable Development Goals Wheel

Progress Networks

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On the 15th anniversary of the Escola Europea

Written by Eduard Rodés, Director of the Escola Europea

Written by Eduard Rodés, Director of the Escola Europea

It is unusual for a European project to celebrate its 15th anniversary. The Escola started its activities in 2004 for the promotion of short sea shipping in the Port of Barcelona with the 2E3S project funded by the European Marco Polo Programme. DG-MOVE created the Programme in 2003 with the aim of reducing road congestion, improving the environmental performance of the freight transport system in the European Community and promoting intermodality, thus contributing to an efficient and sustainable transport system. At the time the Port of Barcelona had two shipping lines operated by the shipping companies GNV and Grimaldi Lines connecting Genoa and Civitavecchia, which responded to the Commission’s approach. Organising courses to promote their use for road transport was a good practice for all.

The Marco Polo Programme offered a new approach to freight transport with the following objectives:

  • Using alternatives to road, such as short sea shipping, rail and inland waterways;
  • Supporting innovations that help overcome technical barriers to intermodal transport;
  • Using Motorways of the Sea in combination with other modes of transport;
  • Reducing the need to transport goods by road through improved logistics;
  • Addressing training and other soft factors within the transport business.

The initial project that created the Escola was followed by two others in the same Programme, which were adapted to its objectives : GLAD (Green Logistics Action and Deployment) for the internationalisation of the Escola’s activities to other countries of the European Union – through a network of countries; and LIFE (Logistics Intermodal Freight Enhancement) for the implementation of training activities that focused on rail intermodality: railway network.

The fact that the Escola obtained three consecutive projects from the Marco Polo Programme gives us an idea of the uniqueness of the activities and its unprecedented value. The realization of the courses, considering the participation of students and teachers from Belgium, Portugal, Italy, France and Spain, gave rise to the creation of a network of professionals specialized in intermodal transport of the first order.

History cannot be explained without recalling that the Motorways of the Sea (MoS) were (and still are) a crucial element in the European transport policy. Their strategic importance was reaffirmed with the revision of the TEN-T guidelines, which defined the MoS as the “maritime dimension of the Trans-European Transport Network”.

The revision of the TEN-T guidelines is inspired by the White Paper “Roadmap to a Single European Transport: Towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system” published in 2011. That document changed many things because, in a way, all of us who work in the world of transport and ports began to understand the system as a network to be built. A network that requires efficient and resilient infrastructures, clean and sustainable energy, and integrated and easily accessible communication and documentation exchange systems. It also meant that the maritime dimension is part of the land dimension. That maritime, road, rail and waterway services are elements of the same system and must operate collaboratively and in synchronicity to offer competitive solutions.

The Escola has identified its 15th anniversary with the construction of such networks. Networks are a main element in the construction and progress of societies.  I use the word progress, and not development, consciously and intentionally. I believe that one of the main debates in our society today is to decide whether we direct our efforts to the continuing policies of growth or whether we contribute to the construction of a new society that seeks the welfare of people through sustainable economic, social and environmental policies.

The three basic networks that shape our economy and our way of life are transport, energy and communications.  Ports have been major nodes in the structuring of these networks and have facilitated the movement of people and goods over centuries. The people involved have brought and carried knowledge, culture, art and customs between territories. In one word, progress.

Over the past fifteen years the Escola has made a small contribution to these developments. It did so by trying to make ports the engine of change; training the people who decide and manage logistics chains to make decisions based on social values and virtues (in the Greek sense of the word ‘virtue’); all of which brought the capacity to bring about improvements for society. It also contributed to the creation of a network of complicity based on the sharing of an alternative way of thinking and acting – one that is based on who we are and what we do, and that seeks a better world for everyone.

This network was built little by little, incorporating training centres from other countries, training trainers, training professionals and students. It was built by creating strong and committed logistic-port communities, capable of working together to do things better.

The Escola is a small actor in the large network of people, institutions and companies that seeks to achieve the sustainable development goals of the United Nations by 2030. In that year the Escola will turn 24 years old, or 25 if we count from the start of regular courses in 2005. I would like for all 17 SGGs to be achieved by then, and that with our activities we will have contributed to achieving them. We will continue working to try to do so, knowing that what is important is the journey, the companions on the journey, the values that inspire it, the discoveries we will make in each port we meet and the communities we want to build.

I would like Europe to be able to look at what started as a project for the promotion of a transport network, and turned into a network of people and collaborations of Mediterranean ports working together for a better society, with pride.

Eduard Rodés

Director

Arete Statue

Human Capital

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On the 15th anniversary of the Escola Europea

Written by: Damià Calvet, president of the Escola Europea and the Port de Barcelona

I took up the post of the president of the Port of Barcelona a few months ago, and in this time I have been experiencing a multifaceted reality of the port – or ports, because there are more than one – which includes its different activities, projects and the people that comprise its community.

In the planning of the duties that have been entrusted to me when I was appointed, I always keep the mission of the institution that I represent in mind. According to the recently approved 4th Strategic Plan, the port was recognised as the body responsible for guaranteeing services that facilitate the competitiveness of its customers, and that create value for society: through infrastructures and services offered to the society to which it is indebted.

For the first time the 4th Strategic Plan was drafted with the collaboration of the Port-Logistics Community. Five work groups were created based on the main areas of activity and traffic of the port, fostering a participatory and integrative model that included not only the port community but the end customers as well, alongside all public and private agents involved and interested in the future of the port.

This means that an important part of the outcome of the port’s strategic approach depends on the people who work in the port community, and therefore its limit is the capacity and success of those who make up its human capital. More than 200 representatives of the stakeholders of the port logistics community wished to be involved in the drafting of the plan.

The Fourth Strategic Plan opts for a three-dimensional Strategic Objective, which reflect the three pillars of sustainability -the first attribute of the logistics hub of Barcelona – economic, environmental and social. The three parts are considered inseparable, therefore achieving one of the parts without the other two cannot be considered a success. All three parts must be achieved simultaneously. The port cannot grow economically without reducing the environmental footprint of its activities or without consolidating quality employment.

The Port’s Strategic Objective is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs focus on the same three components of sustainable development that underscore this strategic plan and the action plan for the next five years.

For social sustainability the recovery and slight increase in pre-COVID-19 employment is vital despite the intense processes of digitalisation and teleworking. Quality employment on port land is the main benefit that the Port brings to the community that hosts it and compensates for its negative externalities and the physical and mental barriers involved in the fact that it lies in a privileged location for citizens.

Collaboration among members of the port-logistics community becomes a must. This includes a considerable spirit of collaboration with all public and private entities with which the port is obliged to interact, especially with the two cities on whose land it lies, Barcelona and El Prat de Llobregat. It is vital to deepen the cooperation with the organisations lying near the port and especially with the Consortium of the Free Zone (Zona Franca), Mercabarna and the Airport of Barcelona. We need to make the most of the synergies of these three entities to generate wealth and employment. Collaboration with other ports, both nearby (Tarragona first and foremost) and far away, and with logistics operators located outside the port precinct, comprise one of the main added values of Barcelona with respect to other port competences. The ports also mustn’t forget the training centres and research bodies.

Proposal of the Placeta de l'Arete

Proposal of the Placeta de l’Arete

The port must put people at the forefront, setting social cohesion as an essential objective of its strategy by generating high-quality diversified employment. It must orient its strategy towards the interests of two main groups: port workers and the citizens of the two host cities, Barcelona and El Prat del Llobregat. It can do so through fostering training, employment, entrepreneurship and talent attraction; promoting equal opportunities; integrating the port into the urban and metropolitan environment; and finally, ensuring the health, safety and security of people and facilities.

Promoting the employability of people in our immediate surroundings will facilitate the creation of new companies through entrepreneurship and the development of an innovation ecosystem in the logistics and transport field to help attract talent and thus offset automation and digitalisation processes that involve a net destruction of jobs.

The promotion of the Blue Economy will create new jobs and this calls for an integrated port-logistics training centre as part of the knowledge, innovation and training hub at the port of Barcelona. This will serve to promote port culture and port identity and foster knowledge of the port among the populace.

Gender equality and multiculturalism in the port environment are factors that contribute decisively to turning organisations into innovators and leaders in our hinterland: the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, Catalonia, Aragon and the Eastern Pyrenees. This also applies to our sea hinterland: Italy, Morocco, Algeria, Libya. Tunis, Greece, Turkey and Egypt.

The Escola must play a leading role in the development of this strategy. From its knowledge of these areas and its proven effectiveness in international projects where knowledge – Sapientia – plays a fundamental role.

May this Sapientia illuminate the path we must travel together.

Happy anniversary!