Tag Archive for: intermodal transport

Visionary Leadership: Eduard Rodés Awarded Mediterranean Medal for Advancing Mediterranean Prosperity

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This Wednesday our director Eduard Rodés was honoured with the Mediterranean Medal by the Advisors Committee of the Association of Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME). This prestigious award recognized Mr. Rodés’ invaluable contributions to the economic development of the Mediterranean region through his leadership at the Escola Europea.

Eduard Rodés - Recipient of the ACASME Mediterranean Award 2023

Eduard Rodés – Recipient of the ACASME Mediterranean Award 2023

The Mediterranean Medal is bestowed annually upon distinguished individuals, companies, or institutions whose exceptional contributions have played a pivotal role in transforming the Mediterranean into a hub for unity, tolerance, camaraderie, and prosperity. This honour is reserved for those who have made significant strides in economically empowering women and youth, those who have championed job creation, as well as those who have tirelessly worked to advance cooperation and spur economic growth in the Mediterranean region. The award also recognizes Mediterranean-based companies and institutions that have embarked on a global expansion journey, thereby contributing to the promotion of the Mediterranean economy on a global scale. This year, the award ceremony took place at the Gala Dinner of MedaWeek Barcelona, held on the 15th of November at 20:30h at Casa Llotja de Mar, Barcelona.

Eduard Rodés, through his visionary leadership at Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport, has made a significant contribution to the sustainable development and economic growth of the Mediterranean region. Since its inception in 2006, the Escola has played a pivotal role in advancing the development of the Mediterranean’s motorways of the sea and promoting intermodality. This commitment is evident through the successful completion of exemplary projects under the Marco Polo Programme of the European Union, the INEA – Executive Agency, and the ENI CBC MED Programme, among others. Furthermore, his recent leadership in initiatives like the YEP MED Project has significantly contributed to job creation within participating Mediterranean countries beyond the EU while also advancing the adoption of technology and simulation in educational programmes within the industry.

The establishment of the Port Virtual Lab has played a pivotal role in the Escola’s ability to expand its experiential programmes not only across the Mediterranean but also beyond. At an award ceremony, the true depth of Mr. Rodés’ dedication and unwavering efforts came to light, leaving a lasting impact on the transportation and logistics sector. His contributions have significantly enhanced the region’s connectivity and global competitiveness. This achievement is further exemplified by the Escola’s status as a PPP (Public Private Partnership) Project, consistently recognized as an international model for best practices in vocational and occupational education, as well as project management.

Upon receiving this remarkable recognition, Mr. Rodés expressed his gratitude, stating “I am deeply honored to receive the Mediterranean Medal of Honor from ASCAME. This distinction is a testament to the collective efforts of all Mediterranean port communities and the dedicated individuals working within them. Many ports have already paved the way for making sustainability, both environmental and social, a strategic element for their future, setting an example and driving change in their surroundings. This achievement is the result of the unwavering commitment and hard work of the entire Escola team, who have dedicated their talent and effort to turning many dreams, both our own and those of others, into reality. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Escola’s partners, including ports and shipping companies, as well as the European Commission and the ENI CBCMED programme, for giving us the opportunity and freedom to make this vision a reality.”

The Gala Dinner of MedaWeek Barcelona 2023 was attended by numerous prominent companies and individuals from various sectors. Their presence added tremendous significance to this momentous occasion.

For media inquiries, please contact Lidia Slawinska at Lidia.slawinska@escolaeuropea.eu.

For event-related questions and attendance details, kindly reach out to us at secretariat@ascame.org.

Container on tracks in the TCB terminal - Escola Europea's SURCO course

Escola Europea adapts its courses to an online format with more online exercises and virtual visits

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The Escola Europea has launched a new edition of one of its signature training courses – SURCO (Simple Use of Railway Connections), which is scheduled to begin next February.

The training, originally designed to be carried out in person to offer an overly practical experience of the subject matter, will now be provided virtually and on a part-time basis. This shift was caused by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Escola’s original training model. A less intensive online format will also allow for “a greater flexibility for the students to adapt – in particular those who have to combine training with their jobs”.

The SURCO course has been in considerable demand over the past years and we are confident that it will continue to be so after its adaptation to an online format. – Marta Miquel – Chief Business Officer of the Escola Europea Intermodal Transport

Requirements

Moreover, the new SURCO courses from the Escola Europea are designed to meet the needs of the students, so that “they can incorporate more practical sessions and the study of successful business cases”, said Marta Miquel. Furthermore, “they also have virtual visits to the facilities through audio-visual elements, with videos of guided explanations of the different operations”, she adds.

For the moment, the course has been confirmed by the Escola Europea for its next edition. “As the health crisis situation progresses, we will re-evaluate the types of courses announced on our website and we will study the possibility of reintroducing the in-person part of the training. Nevertheless, we believe that the pandemic has marked a turning point in training formats and that probably, from now on, we will combine the two modalities in our courses”, highlighted Marta Miquel.

By Alba Tejera, Diario del Puerto

This article first appeared on the Diario del Puerto website.

The Escola Europea and the AdSP promote Fomarti al Porto

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Civitavecchia, 27 September 2019 – The President of the North Central Tyrrhenian Sea Port Authority (AdSP according to its Italian initials), Francesco Maria di Majo, and the Director of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport, Eduard Rodés, presented the project “Formati al Porto”, whose aim is to offer training in the maritime and logistics sectors to students of secondary schools and universities.

The main objective of the initiative, already piloted with great success in the Port of Barcelona, is to address and bridge the gap between the specific skill needs of companies offered by the territory in the professional spheres.

“The Escola Europea, together with the AdSP, has worked very hard over the last two years to bring this wonderful project to the fore, which today becomes a reality”, declared Eduard Rodés. “One of the objectives of the course is to create a space for experimentation and discovery that can attract more and more people to this sector and, at the same time, guarantee professional development”, he continued. “The port and its operators, the port community, put their knowledge, infrastructure and equipment at the service of training and, therefore, of the city itself. Training and the promotion of employment must therefore constitute the spirit that moves “Formati al Porto”, with the complicity and help of all.”

“There is no doubt that maritime transport today is one of the main axes on which global trade moves,” explained the president of the North Central Tyrrhenian Sea Port Authority, Francesco Maria di Majo. “The increasing use of the so-called “Motorways of the Sea”, much desired by the European Union, has brought important benefits in terms of decongestion of land networks, facilitation of the flow of logistics chains and reduction of environmental impact,” continued di Majo. “Today the port of Civitavecchia feels even more than yesterday the need to offer competitive services and, above all, to invest in the human factor by forming a logistics community capable of facing future challenges and strategically placing the port at the forefront of Mediterranean logistics. Hence the importance of specific training in intermodal transport and the motorways of the sea to design, build and manage door-to-door operations more efficiently and safely, offering the necessary tools to analyse direct costs and environmental impacts. These are all fundamental elements for companies that want to increase their competitiveness in the market”, concluded Molo Vespucci’s number one.

The Escola Europea, which has an excellent international training record in the maritime and logistics sector, will use a team of experts and professionals from the Italian and Spanish sectors, making sure that the participants get high quality educational content.

The course, in collaboration with the most important Italian associations within the maritime sector and numerous local partners such as the Municipality of Civitavecchia, the Customs Agency, the University of Tuscia, ITC Guido Baccelli, Automar, the Mooring Group, Port Mobility SpA and the Port Authority, is also supported by the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

And this morning, as a corollary of the synergy between AdSP and the Escola Europea, the Italian branch of the Escola was inaugurated. It will be located in the AdSP headquarters, where the pilot courses of “Formati al porto” will soon begin.

For more information about the course you can contact Marco Muci: italy@escolaeuropea.eu.

 

Image of Container 42

Blue Innovation – Container 42

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Following a nice and (hopefully for all of you) relaxing summer, we have begun thinking again about innovation it the Blue Economy and any novelties that would be worth highlighting. For this issue of the Odiseo we have decided to revisit the container (following our article on the SmartBox), and decided to explore Container 42.

Digitisation and technology continue to make headlines with increasing frequency in a classic sector that seeks to optimize its performance, no longer focusing on gigantism but thinking about improved processes and relying on new technological proposals.

The newest challenge is to mesh data and processes together to obtain more efficient operations, sustainability and better services.

Under the initial joint venture of IBM, Cisco, Esri, Axians and the Port of Rotterdam, today there are 18 companies (see the full list at https://weare42.io/partners/) that have joined to create Container 42, a research and technologically innovative project that seeks to increase the safety, sustainability and efficiency of container movement. Under the premise of knowing what a cargo container experiences during intermodal journeys, Container 42 is a hyperintelligent tool that registers everything and is adapted with sensor technology that transmits, in real time, information pertaining to vibrations, pitch, noise, air pollution, humidity, internal and external temperature, internal movement of the cargo and the exact global position of the container. In addition, the container has been equipped with solar panels on its top cover to measure the amount of energy that can be produced, as well as with 42 cameras that record the movements of and surrounding the unit.

Source: https://weare42.io/data/

The premise is that all this data is to be collected, and will yield positive results to make sure that the different actors involved in the operation of the container can measure parameters, optimize processes, improve the quality of services and be more efficient with the environment.

Currently the plan is for Container 42 to do a 2 years long intermodal journey in order to do carry out accurate analyses within the routine of a regular container. The official launching was at Rotterdam on May 24, 2019, and it has left to Munich for the International Transport Logistic exhibition to begin the journey right after the event.

This system installed on the Container has the potential to outperform the authorities along its journeys, as it is programmed to set off alarms when the parameters of the container are changed or its doors are opened. It also helps to optimize logistic chains by constantly updating data, which would allow to diminish (or eliminate completely) uncertain predictions or to visually verify the cargo in real time.

With such thorough tracking and control, it leaves those involved with the container and the cargo with nearly absolute certainty and security. Moreover, beyond the container’s contribution to the logistics chain and the possibility of linking its operations with blockchain, in the event that any incident with the unit is recorded, thanks to a precision of information, it would be much easier to troubleshoot incidents and be aware of all of the risks or breakdowns. On the other hand, the container could also be part of an integral customs self-management system, as with all of the information digitalised, the cargo data can be transferred for faster customs management, and eliminate inspections of containers that are digitally guaranteed not to be opened.

Source: https://shippingandfreightresource.com/container-42-smartest-container-on-the-planet/

The first step in this initiative has been taken. Knowing what happens to a container during its voyage will soon cease to be an uncertainty (although some shipping companies already have limited monitoring and security services among others for the cargo they transport). However, it must be recognized that digitising each unit will take time due to the investment and motivation that the carriers would need to take the necessary steps to implement the technology. Even so, in a world where we know exactly the position of our food delivery biker, how strange is it that we do not know precisely the condition and position of goods valued in thousands of dollars?

Written by:

  • Vanessa Bexiga, Operations Manager (Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport)

MOST Iberia 2018 brings together Spanish, Portuguese and South American professionals

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For a second year running, the Escola brought together professionals from Spanish and Portuguese transport enterprises during the MOST Iberia edition of its well-established courses in intermodal maritime transport.

Between the 20th and the 23rd of October, a group comprising 53 professionals from the logistics and port sectors of Spain, Portugal and South America descended onto Barcelona to improve their knowledge of intermodal logistics and the motorways of the sea, and to expand their professional networks. During 4 days on board of a Ro-Pax ferry of Grimaldi Lines linking Barcelona to Civitavecchia, the participants could share their experiences, idiosyncrasies, and knowledge coming from their respective countries.

From Spain the participants came from the Spanish Ports (Puertos del Estado), as well as including logistic operators, transport companies and large associations and corporations from the sector: Roehlig, Casintra, Acotral, JVC Shipping & Solutions, El Corte Inglés and ATEIA. The South American delegation consisted of 25 professionals coming from port communities from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay. Members of public entities such as the regional government of Madeira, the Institute of Mobility and Transport, port authorities of Sines, Algrave, Douro, Leixões and Viana do Castelo, alongside representatives of private companies (Navex and Intermodal Portugal) formed the Portuguese delegation. “Excellent lecturers, an experience that allowed us see transport logistics from different perspectives than the ones we’re used to. All of this while living and experiencing a Mediterranean maritime journey. Thank you for everything” expressed one participant.

The teaching staff comprised: Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, Planning and Development Director of Spanish Ports (Puertos del Estado); Ana Arévalo, Commercial Manager of SSS at the Port of Barcelona; Antonio Vargas, Ex General Director and current Board Member of Grimaldi Logistics Spain; Eduardo Bandeira, Executive Director of Intermodal Portugal; Raquel Nunes, Promotion and Training Manager and Eduard Rodés, Director of the Escola Europea.

The course developed the concept of co-modality as a tool to improve transport management. The motorways of the sea were shows as fundamental elements of a sustainable logistics supply chain. The course participants have to resolve a case study that evaluates short sea shipping solutions, and applies calculations of direct and indirect costs to determine an optimal transport solution in terms of economic, social and environmental terms.

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.