1st edition of the Summer School on Port Operations comes to pass

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.