Tag Archive for: Mediterranean

Algeria and Spain Strengthen Port Training Cooperation through OPEN TRADE MED

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An official Algerian Ports delegation has concluded a high-level institutional visit to Barcelona, marked by the signature of a cooperation agreement between the SERPORT Group and Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport. The agreement establishes a framework for long-term collaboration in training, capacity building and technical cooperation in the fields of ports, logistics, transport and international trade.

The cooperation agreement was signed by Mr. Hedjal Ryad, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the SERPORT Group, on behalf of the Algerian port authority, and by representatives of Escola Europea, formalising a shared commitment to strengthening professional skills and institutional cooperation between Algeria and Spain. The signing ceremony took place at the headquarters of Escola Europea in the presence of Mr. José Alberto Carbonell, President of the Port of Barcelona and President of the Escola Europea, and Mr. Eduard Rodés, Director of Escola Europea.

Mr. Hedjal Ryad, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SERPORT Group; Mr. José Alberto Carbonell, President of the Port of Barcelona; and Mr. Eduard Rodés, Director of Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport

The agreement was signed within the framework of the OPEN TRADE MED project (Operations and Procedures for Employment and Networking for Trade in the Mediterranean), a regional initiative supported by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and aligned with the strategic priorities of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).
The pilot phase of OPEN TRADE MED will initially involve the ports of Algiers (Algeria) and Tripoli (Lebanon), with a view to progressive expansion to other Mediterranean port-logistics communities.

A partnership focused on skills, sustainability and employability

The agreement reflects a shared vision to reinforce human capital across Mediterranean port-logistics communities, with a particular focus on youth employability, digitalisation, sustainability and intermodal transport solutions. Through this partnership, SERPORT and Escola Europea will jointly develop training programmes, pilot actions and knowledge-exchange initiatives, while facilitating the integration of Algerian ports and training centres into wider Euro-Mediterranean cooperation networks.

At the core of this collaboration lies the OPEN TRADE MED project, a multi-year regional programme designed to equip students, teachers and professionals with practical, employment-oriented skills for sustainable international trade. The project combines training-of-trainers schemes, applied learning methodologies and digital simulation tools, notably through the Port Virtual Lab, bridging the gap between education and real-world port and logistics operations.

OPEN TRADE MED is being implemented across nine Mediterranean countries and ten port-logistics communities, promoting ethical decision-making, gender equality and environmentally responsible transport practices such as short sea shipping and intermodal logistics. By bringing together education providers, port authorities and international institutions, the project aims to strengthen regional connectivity and support the development of resilient and competitive Mediterranean trade systems.

Institutional dialogue at the heart of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation

Beyond the signing of the agreement, the visit provided an opportunity to deepen institutional dialogue between Algerian and European stakeholders. The delegation held meetings with key Euro-Mediterranean organisations, including the Union for the Mediterranean and IEMed, to exchange views on regional integration, sustainable development and the strategic role of ports as drivers of economic growth and qualified employment.

The programme also included an institutional maritime visit to the Port of Barcelona, offering first-hand insights into port governance, intermodal connectivity, digital innovation and sustainability strategies.

A long-term commitment

With the signature of this agreement, SERPORT Group and Escola Europea reaffirm their commitment to long-term Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, placing education, innovation and sustainability at the centre of port and logistics development. The partnership represents a concrete step towards stronger institutional ties between Algeria and Spain, and towards a more connected, skilled and sustainable Mediterranean region.

About the OPEN TRADE MED (Operations and Procedures for Employment and Networking for Trade in the Mediterranean)

What is OPEN TRADE MED?

OPEN TRADE MED is a regional cooperation project aimed at strengthening skills, employability and sustainable practices in international trade, transport and logistics across the Mediterranean. The project focuses on bridging the gap between education and real-world port and logistics operations.

Objectives

  • Strengthen employment-oriented training in ports, logistics and international trade
  • Improve youth employability and professional skills in Mediterranean countries
  • Promote sustainable and intermodal transport solutions
  • Foster digitalisation and innovation in trade and logistics education
  • Ensure gender equality and inclusive participation

Geographical Scope

  • 9 Mediterranean countries
  • 10 port-logistics communities
  • Involvement of vocational, occupational and higher-education training centres

Key Target Groups

  • Students and young professionals
  • Teachers and trainers (training-of-trainers approach)
  • Port and logistics professionals
  • Training institutions and port authorities

Key Components

  • Training-of-Trainers programmes to build local teaching capacity
  • Applied training courses in international trade, transport and logistics
  • Digital simulation tools, notably the Port Virtual Lab, enabling participants to work with realistic port, transport and trade scenarios
  • Pilot actions and local courses adapted to each port-logistics community
  • Networking and institutional cooperation at Euro-Mediterranean level

Core Themes

  • Sustainable logistics and transport
  • Intermodality and short sea shipping
  • Digitalisation and smart mobility
  • Ethical decision-making and governance
  • Gender equality and youth inclusion

Institutional Framework

  • Supported by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID)
  • Aligned with the priorities of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)
  • Implemented in cooperation with port authorities, training institutions and international organisations

Expected Impact

  • Strengthened professional skills across Mediterranean port-logistics communities
  • Improved employability and access to quality jobs
  • Enhanced regional cooperation and connectivity
  • Greater adoption of sustainable and digital logistics practices

Project Leader

  • Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport

The Escola to promote the YEP MED project during MedCat days 2022

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The Chief Business Officer of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport will promote the YEP MED project during this year’s MedCat days in Barcelona.

Marta Miquel, the Chief Business Officer of the Escola Europea will attend the event on behalf of the lead partner of the EU-funded project. As part of the session on “A more social and inclusive Mediterranean,” which will be moderated by Albert Sorrosal from TESIM, and with an introduction from Anna Dorangricchia – the project manager from the Social and Civil Affairs of UpM, she will introduce YEP MED (Youth Employment in the Ports of the MEDiterranean) to the attendees and explain the best practices that have been developed during the first half of the project’s lifetime.

MedCat Days, part of the Catalonia Mediterranean Hub, is organised by the Generalitat de Catalunya, the European Institute for the Mediterranean (IEMed), and with the collaboration of MedCoopAlliance.

The mission of the MedCat days is to promote the new EU Agenda for the Mediterranean. With the knowledge that with the objectives of the cohesion policy 2021-2027 of the government of Catalonia, it is necessary to bet on greener and more innovative policies in the Mediterranean. During the three days of the event, delegates will have the chance to analyze the difficult topics surrounding Mediterranean transport, meet new actors, discuss projects and host institutional meetings. The first half of the Days will take place on 23, 24 and 25 March, with a second session planned for the second half of November 2022. In March, the focus will be on:

  • Contributing to the deployment of the EU’s new Agenda for the Mediterranean and the promotion of Green and Digital Transitions
  • Promoting new initiatives and projects in the Mediterranean in the framework of the new generation of Euromed programmes.
  • Promoting agreements and exchanges with Catalan and southern Mediterranean actors.
  • Promoting an integrated, macro-regional and multi-level vision within the framework of European policies in the Mediterranean.
Innovation and Digitisation

Innovation and digitisation post Covid-19

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As we enter a new era in the Escola’s development and begin to work on our new project YEPMED, which aims to ameliorate the labour situation for young people across the Mediterranean, we have caught up with Anwar Zibaoui to share his thoughts on the importance of collaboration and sharing of know how in the era of the 4th industrial revolution, and the digitisation and innovation that come with it. Check out the full article below. 

The YEPMED Project aims to better match the labour market skills needs and dual TVET offer in the Mediterranean Port communities sector in order to contribute to jobs creation and productive economic growth. 

 

Anwar Zibaoui

Anwar Zibaoui, chairman of ACASME and founder of AZ Meda Advisors & Consulting

Twelve years after the world financial crisis sent the economies of the developed and developing world into disarray, we are once again facing an unknown situation. An unprecedented tsunami that has confined millions of people to their homes, shaken the stock markets, forced countless businesses to close, including local markets and restaurants and emptied our streets, paralyzing our economies. Historical precedents tell us that such a situation could significantly alter political and economic systems, reconfigure ideas and theories, and impose radical changes to our lifestyles.

In this case, the unexpected allies have been innovation and digital technology, which helped alleviate the impact of COVID-19 on individuals, businesses and governments. In the midst of the chaos, a new era set in the digital world is emerging, and with it creating new opportunities. Nevertheless the benefits of technology are not equally distributed, as more than 3.6 billion people on the planet still do not have access to the Internet. In the informal economy, teleworking does not exist. For millions of children, access to online education is a remote dream.

It is time to coordinate our reaction to the new challenges, because innovation and digitalisation are here to stay. Their implementation has accelerated exponentially and there is no turning back now. It has changed the way we work, learn, buy or socialise. We must be prepared for the so-called new normality.

Never before has the digital agenda been as necessary and vital as it is now. It is not only an immediate response to the measures taken to combat the virus, but it is also indispensable to research and innovation. The current economic models are breathless because of the speed of change. We are in the era of globalisation, climate change, pandemics, digital transformation, the collaborative economy, urban concentration and the depopulation of the rural world. All of these represent many changes that governments all across the globe are struggling to regulate. However, these also highlight new divergences and polarizations between economies and societies. This is why new responses are needed.

There is no doubt that technological change threatens jobs, but it can also create alternatives. Relations at work, between companies, employees, services, mobility… are evolving. The only key to progress is to improve innovation and education. As in everything else, the future of Europe, Africa and the Mediterranean lies in adapting, sharing experiences and moving forward together.

Following the current model, Mediterranean governments are focusing on job creation rather than on business creation. This is an outdated model that consists of launching massive public employment programmes instead of financing and investing in successful businesses that create jobs. It is clear that economic progress is directly related to training, research and innovation activities, and that there is a correlation between social progress and business activities.

The life cycle of companies should demonstrate to many countries that the secret of eternal youth is constant innovation. Governments need to balance expenditures and invest in tangible infrastructure such as roads, railways or ports. However, they must also invest in intangibles such as education, research and development. R&D is the key driver for building and consolidating a knowledge economy and implementing a culture of creativity in which young people are inspired, transform their ideas, raise their ambitions and pursue their dreams.

Entrepreneurship and the private sector can drive adaptation to technology and innovation, be the vehicle to engage young people and move forward. We must promote a new mental framework, a new attitude, harnessing the energy of young people, and fresh ideas, because these are the ones that bring opportunities. Innovation is a lever for value creation because it transforms the way we do business and has a multiplier effect on the growth of a nation and its companies.

Innovation is the way to growth and survival. It is the model for the promotion of a company or a country. Technology is already here, but by itself it is not the answer. It is a facilitator and accelerator of new ways of being and doing. To be able to create wealth and ensure a future, innovation is not an option, it is a necessity.

The Mediterranean region will have to create hundreds of millions of new jobs over the next three decades. This challenge presents an opportunity for the region to transform its economies and harness the creativity of its large youth population and the disruptive power of technology to create wealth.

Whether we like it or not, production lines will require less and less manpower thanks to more efficient machines, automation and robotics. In addition, the next wave will bring more artificial intelligence, 3D printing and new capabilities that will make additional manual labour redundant. We already know that 8 out of 10 jobs will be lost due to new technologies (not immigration or globalization), that 64% of the jobs that exist today will be automated, and that 66% of the jobs for the next 10 years have not yet been invented.

The transition to the fourth industrial revolution, combined with a crisis of governance, makes it imperative to thoroughly reconsider human capital and adapt education to the labour market in order to achieve prosperity and stability. New digital technologies generate a new competitiveness that, for the moment, does not apply to many Mediterranean countries. For the region, a successful transition would guarantee business competitiveness and be a determining factor for regional industrial consolidation. Doing nothing is a risk of negative impact on its future growth and productivity.

In our region, the most immediate economic challenge is not diversification or new tax regimes, but the creation of productive and sustainable jobs for the youth. At the same time, we must be equipped with the combination of talents and skills that will make industry 4.0 a generator of wealth and social peace. We must be concerned about the level of training of the workforce and its quantitative and qualitative nature. The factors that today allow us to better evaluate it are the development of the digital culture, the skills and the capacity to think creatively.

The region has an enormous human capital waiting to be developed. Education, the promotion of the private sector and an understanding of this technological revolution will be key ingredients for success. This is a complex task that will require a broad social consensus and determined action by governments.

The digital potential is unlimited. This represents an opportunity for the Mediterranean. A large market with rapid growth. A hub of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Young people have the resources to find solutions to pressing problems.

Leaving the Mediterranean behind in the digital transformation is not an option. The pace of the fourth industrial revolution will wait for no one. As the United States and Asia move forward, Europe and the Mediterranean need to forge their own identity. Today the imbalance is obvious, and everything that prevents an improvement in innovative capacity is conditioning the future.

The main key to innovation is training. Companies that invest in their employees to provide them with the right knowledge are the ones that grow. Governments must do the same, improving qualifications and promoting innovation in all key sectors of the economy and in the education system. If they stop betting on the education of the new generations, they will condemn them to depend on others for life.

There is a great need for a new platform of collaboration that brings together governments with businesses and other actors interested in public-private cooperation in the Mediterranean, facilitating a progressive dialogue that understands and respects the values and culture of the region. Investment in young people is needed to unlock the demographic dividend in an area where the interests of governments, the private sector and international organizations are fully aligned. This requires joint action by all today, to ensure a prosperous region tomorrow.

This crisis will pass, but we must not forget that innovation and digitalisation are the path to survival and development, the fuel for constant progress and the model for the rise of a company, a nation or a region.

Article published in its original form can be found here.

3D model of globe - view of Europe

The aftermath of COVID-19 in the Mediterranean

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This year the Escola Europea, along with 10 partners from around the Mediterranean, will launch a new pan-Mediterranean project in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI-CBCMED). The project, called YEPMED (“Youth Employment in the Ports of the Mediterranean”), will work towards the development of port-logistics training and vocational (TVET) resources adapted to sector needs to strengthen youth employability in Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, France, Italy and Spain. This in turn will increase and upgrade local employment opportunities through the creation of real dual-learning programmes with job placements; and help 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 ambitious project is scheduled to run from 2020 to 2023.

When looking at any situation related to our industry, but in particular when looking at employment opportunities and trends, it is always prudent to take in the national and international context. This year the whole world was faced with an extremely potent and dangerous enemy – a new and extremely rapid strain of coronavirus – and we have already begun to see the consequences of the pandemic on the social, cultural and economic spheres. In this article we explore what exactly is the situation in the countries that are involved in YEPMED, in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tunisia

The government asked the Tunisian Parliament for powers to issue emergency decrees for a period of 2 months, starting in April 4, 2020. The government stressed the imperative to engage in continuous re-assessment, to ensure the success of the three stages of deconfinement. The first stage has run from May 4 to 24, the second from May 25 to June 4, and the third (currently active) from June 5 to July 14, 2020. Restriction of movement between regions was lifted on June 4 and the country’s borders will re-open on June 27.

Lebanon

On 21 March, Prime Minister Hassan Diab Taboule in a televised speech urged people in Lebanon to implement a “self-imposed curfew,” adding that the lockdown measures will be enforced more strictly by the security forces. On 26 March, Lebanon imposed a partial curfew from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. to try to slow the spread of the virus. On June 11, 2020, A curfew remains in place daily from 12 midnight until 5:00 a.m., to include private vehicular travel. The Lebanese government has extended the general mobilization until July 5, 2020.  Rafic Hariri International airport has been closed to regularly-scheduled commercial flights since March 19. It will remain closed until at least June 21.

Egypt

In March 2020, Egypt has adopted many measures to stop the spreading of the virus, including suspending mass prayers at mosques, and shutting down of churches and other spiritual havens. The country also shut down shopping malls, restaurants, coffee shops, and nightclubs overnight, in addition to imposing a curfew starting from 8pm to 6am. On April 7, 2020, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi called for the reduction of employees working in offices across Egypt, aiming to avoid a pattern of suspensions of work. He demanded that more employees be allowed to work from home, to curb the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19). Starting on May 30, every person is required to wear a facemask when entering all public institutions and public and private transportation. Egypt will open up its main seaside resorts for international flights and foreign tourists from July 1. The Government of Egypt will review all measures in mid-June.

Jordan

On March 25, 2020 a state of emergency and curfew was declared. As of the 3rd of May, 2020, most sectors were allowed to resume work gradually, but schools, universities, gyms, public gatherings, church and mosque sermons remained banned, and a curfew from 7 pm to 8am remains in place as well as a curfew on Fridays. On May 21, the Government of Jordan announced the continued suspension of regular commercial passenger flights to and from Queen Alia International Airport through June 4, 2020. On May 29, the Government of Jordan announced that airports in Jordan will remain closed through July 1, 2020. The Government of Jordan announced that everyone must adhere to social distancing rules and wear masks and gloves when entering public places (including ministries, government departments, official and public institutions), and when entering places where services are provided directly to the public (including companies, institutions, malls, stores, medical clinics and health centers, cellular communications companies, electricity and water companies, banks, offices, buses, taxis, public vehicles and private vehicles with more than one person). Anyone violating the order is currently facing a fine.

France

On March 17, 2020, the French Government announced the nation-wide lockdown. The French Government has announced the second phase of deconfinement, which began on June 2, 2020. The 100 km limit on travel within France, which was in place since March, no longer applies. Groups are still limited to a maximum of 10 people in public spaces. Certain public services have gradually been allowed to open. Phase two is expected to last until at least June 21, 2020. Phase 3 of de-confinement is looming from June 22, 2020, and the government has provisionally set the date for the end of the state of health emergency next July 10. Exceptional measures could be maintained until November 10. On June 15, border restrictions and travel into France from European countries is planned to be lifted. Nevertheless, the decision on whether to relax/open border restrictions on arrivals into France from outside of the European Union is still pending.

Italy

On March 11, 2020, the Italian Government began the nationwide lockdown, following a dramatic outbreak in the Bergamo region. The lockdown was the strictest in Europe, and lasted for nearly two months. Gradual opening of activities started May 4, 2020. On May 17, 2020, the Italian government issued a decree providing that from June 3, 2020, persons traveling to Italy from member states of the European Union are permitted to enter in the country, with exemption for quarantine. For those traveling from other countries, travel to Italy will be allowed only for proven work, urgent health needs, or to return to their places of residence. Those travelers are required to self-isolate for 14 days under the supervision of health authorities, either at home or another address of their choosing.

 

Spain

The Spanish Government started the lockdown on March 16 2020. Gradual opening of activities started on the 4th of May 2020. Spain’s nationwide State of Emergency will remain in effect until June 21, 2020. The Spanish government is gradually relaxing some confinement measures in phases over the weeks leading up to then. Confinement measures will vary from region to region within Spain. At the time of writing, Spain’s air, land and sea borders remain closed for entry, excluding the land border with Andorra, with limited exceptions. This includes the land borders with Portugal, France, and Morocco (Ceuta and Melilla) and the sea borders in the Canary and Balearic Islands, as well as the sea ports in mainland Spain, with limited exceptions. At the time of writing, only Spanish citizens or citizens/legal residents of EU or Schengen countries may enter Spain.

 

Post-Coronavirus?

The current strain of Coronavirus has greatly affected the social and economic paradigms present throughout the world – and with the impending recession the economic consequences seem dire. It will be years before the countries can go back to pre-Covid realities – in the cultural, educational and transport sectors in particular (among others). This is why international partnerships and projects that work towards the improvement of cross-border cooperation and the sharing of know-how are now pivotal for economic recovery. Without a functioning logistics sector, the economy of a country cannot recover. Without maritime transport, 80% of global freight and more than half of consumer fuel will not be delivered – vital for global recover and geopolitics. This is particularly true in the Mediterranean, where the existing and developing links between countries in the North and South of the basin, as well as between the West and East, are becoming essential lifelines in recovery. All of this needs to be considered at while at the same time keeping up with any digital innovations and smart technologies incorporated and developed by actors in the transport sector, along with the environmental factors that exist to ensure the health and safety of our Blue Economy (and by extension the globe).

YEP-MED will work exactly with this mission in mind – to help share knowledge, facilitate economic recovery and ease social strain by providing employment opportunities to people on the southern and northern shores of the Mediterranean basin. As economies open up following months-long lockdowns in the seven countries, the Escola and its partners are beginning to work to bear fruit of this new initiative. Stay tuned!

 

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Morocco: Booming Tangier Med

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2018 was what we can call a full year for Tangier Med and its businesses, while the opening of the Tanger Med 2 port in 2019 will add more possibilities for the treatment and processing of containers.

With a total processed volume equivalent to 317 billion dirhams (28.9 billion euros) in 2018, the port Tanger Med has exceeded that of Durban, South Africa, to become the first African platform.

More than 139 billion dirhams of exported goods passed through Tangier Med, representing more than 50% of all of Moroccan exports. For the leaders of the platform, Tangier Med would be the “first export port serving the competitiveness of the Moroccan economy.”

In tonnage handled, the volume processed last year exceeded 52.2 million tonnes, signifying a 2% increase over 2017. In both terminals of the port, more than 3.4 million of TEUs were treated, an evolution of 5% compared to the year 2017. In comparison with its beginnings, in 2007, the port Tanger Med has seen an increase of 15.7%. This rise is justified, according to the port managers, by the performance and productivity of the container terminals, the harbor master’s office and the piloting for the management of port operations.

Vehicle Activity Increase

In terms of passengers, traffic remains stable in comparison with 2017, with more than 2.8 million people. TIR (International Road Transport) traffic grew by 14%, compared to the previous year, reaching a total traffic of 326,773 TIR units. This increase is mainly due to exports of industrial and agri-food products.

The vehicle business also continued its upward pace. In 2018, 479,321 cars passed through Tangier Med, 11% more than the year before. On the terminal dedicated to Renault, the manufacturer has exported 383,715 vehicles, of which 91% came from the Tangier factory. The Tanger Med executives look forward to 2019, which will mark the start of exports of Peugeot vehicles, manufactured at the Kenitra plant.

Solid bulk traffic in 2018, for its part, was down 18% from the previous year, mainly due to lower cereal imports. Liquid bulk experienced a similar trend, falling by 21% from 2017, with a total of less than 6 million tonnes of processed hydrocarbons.

Digitisation, the nerve of war

More than 13,000 ships and boats docked at Tanger Med port in 2018 from 186 ports and 77 countries. Djibouti, Guatemala, Ireland, Bahrain and Madagascar are the countries with which the Moroccan port provided a first direct sea connection last year. The port has mainly enabled Morocco to establish its policy of proximity with African countries and increasing trade with Mauritania, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire or Ghana.

Occupying an extremely strategic geographical location, Port Tanger Med has established itself over the years as a gateway to the Kingdom of Morocco. Its leaders are happy to have thought about digitisation and the implementation of an IT infrastructure, which has become the nerve of the war of activity, saving a lot of time. According to the operators with whom we could speak, the port of Tangier seduces with its fluidity.

A second site at 26 billion dirhams

2019 will be the year of the entry into service of the first equipment of the port Tanger Med II, which engulfed 26 billion dirhams of investment. Part of the overall investment, 8.5 billion dirhams, was injected by the giant APM Terminals for the construction of the largest terminal, the TC 4, which it will manage. The Moroccan operator Marsa Maroc has also obtained the management of a terminal, whose entry into service is scheduled for 2020.

The total capacity of this second site will be 5.2 million TEU and 12 portals are installed for flow management.

Tangier Med will also see in 2019, the construction of storage silos for hydrocarbons as imposed by the Ministry of Energy to the various exporters and distributors. For the moment, the projects are in the study phase, but according to the operators, the most important of them should be installed in Tangier Med and in Jorf Lasfar.

Source: Jeune Afrique