Tag Archive for: MOST Italy

Escola Europea’s Global Impact and Future Vision Unveiled in Palermo during the Steering and Executive Committee

/in , , ,

Palermo, April 2, 2024 — The Port Authority of Palermo was proud to host the first meeting of the Escola Europea’s Steering and Executive Committee for the year. The session commenced with a warm welcome from Mr. Luca Lupi, General Secretary of the Port Authority of Palermo. This was followed by an insightful presentation from Mr. Lluís Salvadó, President of the Port Authority of Barcelona, regarding the Escola Europea’s function and achievements.

In a comprehensive management report, Eduard Rodés, the Director of the Escola Europea, celebrated the institution’s successes from the previous year and presented the forecasted initiatives for 2024.

“In 2023, the Escola Europea made significant strides by welcoming over 2,600 students of 82 different nationalities and hosting 7,200 participants across 199 activities. These numbers don’t just represent growth; they symbolise the widening impact of our work on the international scene. Our commitment to providing quality education in intermodal transport is not just shaping the future of the industry but also actively contributing to the development of the Mediterranean region as a strategic logistics hub,” stated Eduard Rodés.

The report highlighted the completed projects that have placed the Escola at the forefront of maritime and logistics training, as well as the introduction of new proposals that promise to enhance the institution’s future project portfolio. Among these were the growth of the Forma’t al Port programme and the Forma’t Talent course, as well as the initiation of the Rome, Genoa, and Sicily Port Academy programmes aimed at empowering young professionals with industry-specific knowledge and skills.

Particularly noteworthy was the development and success of the pilot initiatives of Port Virtual Lab (PVL), an innovative training solution which has evolved beyond its initial purpose as a pandemic response, becoming a fundamental simulation tool that is revolutionizing educational models within the logistics and port sectors.

The collaboration with MEDports was also a focal point of discussion, as the Escola Europea has been selected to manage the association’s monthly newsletter — MED Mosaic, and to lead the inaugural MEDports Challenge, which speaks to the institution’s rising prominence and the trust placed in its capabilities by industry partners.

Escola Europea and the Northern Central Tyrrhenian Sea Port Authority host the 9th Meeting of the Technical Committee of the Transport Community

/in , ,

The 9th meeting of the technical committee of the Transport Community was held in the committee room of the Northern Central Tyrrhenian Sea Port Authority System (AdSP) and was organized by the Escola Europea in cooperation with the Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mar Tirreno Centro Settentrionale – Porti di Roma e del Lazio and the Transport Community on on 29 February 2024. It welcomed representatives from the Western Balkans countries, Assoporti, and the MEDports Association.

Attendees of the 9th Technical Committee of the Transport Community in Italy

The meeting discussed the improvement of process efficiency and effectiveness in ports and gathered key stakeholders and experts from across Europe and beyond. Throughout the day, attendees explored initiatives like the Maritime Single Window and digitalization for trade streamlining. Additionally, sustainable port operations were emphasized, aligning with environmental stewardship goals. A standout moment was the presentation by Marco Muci , the Escola’s Country Manager for Italy, which provided insights into the Escola’s activities geared towards more efficient and immersive learning experiences.

To conclude our discussions, participants enjoyed a captivating study visit to the Port of Civitavecchia, gaining firsthand insights into its operations and facilities. Overall, the meeting was a success, marked by fruitful discussions and a shared dedication to advancing towards a more innovative and efficient tomorrow

“I am very proud to have hosted, at the headquarters of the entity – explained the President of AdSP Mtcs Pino Musolino – the 9th meeting of the Technical Committee of the Transport Community, an international organization dedicated to mobility and transport.”

“I wanted to emphasize – concludes the head of Molo Vespucci – how international relations and cooperation are of fundamental importance for the development of traffic, even in an area like the Balkan peninsula which is rapidly expanding, thanks to the integration of different transports, always with a careful eye on environmental protection and impact.

Porto di Civitavecchia

The Port Community of Civitavecchia post Covid-19: What’s next?

/in , ,
Marco Muci

Co-written by: Marco Muci, Escola Europea Intermodal Transport

Lidia Slawinska

Co-written by: Lidia Slawinska, Consultant for the Escola Europea

The year 2020 is slowly cementing its place in the history books as the year that the world stopped. The health, social and economic consequences of this year will be felt throughout both the developed and developing world well into the middle of the decade. Transport, the backbone of the consumer-driven industry that existed pre-Covid19 is undergoing a major shift. This can be said of both, freight and passenger transport. As we approach the autumn, and the start of our fall courses, we wanted to evaluate the situation in our partner ports. In this post Marco Muci, the Escola’s Country Manager for Italy, took a look at the current situation in the Port of Civitavecchia, and the outlook for its future.

The current crisis triggered by the spread of Covid-19 has caused tremendous consequences for the port of Civitavecchia and, subsequently the city itself;  much more than other ports in Italy. The root cause is quite simple: unlike many other ports that base their economy on the movement of goods, Civitavecchia bases its work mainly on the transport of passengers (both in cruises and ferries). All this was clearly demonstrated by this crisis, in which the total disappearance of tourism resulted in profound crises for shipping agencies, freight forwarders, port companies, guides, NCC companies and bus companies. More than half of the workforce of the port community is currently in layoffs, pending the end of the state of emergency.

To combat the aftermath that will result from this economic downturn, various proposals have been made by the stakeholders involved (by the association of shipping agencies in particular), to try to give a future to the port and its workers. Some of the more noteworthy ones are:

  • Mitigating the liquidity crisis of companies to cover the entire lockdown period at minimum. This is considered to be the fundamental issue to be solved in order to stabilize (and reverse the downward trend in) employment levels and revenue shortfalls of companies;
  • Reducing the burdens on companies by mitigating the tax wedge and introducing tax relief for companies that are committed to maintaining employment levels;

Simplifying the bureaucratic procedures that slow down the fluidity, and sometimes cause blockages, of goods and ultimately aim for a future based on automatized logistics processes and controls;

  • Increase the number of quays servicing container traffic in the immediate aftermath of the crisis whilst the passenger sector remains stagnant, and prepare other quays to take over once tourism is re-established in the coming years.
  • The Association of Shipping Agencies has proposed that, to minimize the consequences of the crisis, the costs related to the unloading / embarkation of goods should be reduced. A decrease in the rates of boarding / disembarkation fees would benefit the process of relaunching the port. Similarly, they have proposed an experimental reduction of the monthly anchorage tax amounts, which would result in a lower cost of the ‘port system’, making the port of Civitavecchia potentially more attractive;
  • A modernization of the existing docks, which would benefit the trades and the companies and improve the movement of goods;
  • The completion of the Simplified Logistics Zone, which would lead the way for a renewed interest in the port, increase the credibility of the port and its logistics system, and have significant effects for the territory through the exemption of VAT and duties for non-EU goods. Promoting Simplified Logistics Zone will attract industrial investment and revitalize international trade.
Port of Civitavecchia

The Port of Civitavecchia

Civitavecchia is now at a crossroads following the tremendous effects that coronavirus has had on the country as whole. Whilst waiting for the much coveted “European Recovery Fund”, which will give a breath of fresh air – so to speak – and a boost to one of the most affected economies in the world, the country can turn to one of the most effective solutions to recover and innovate – education. In 2019 the Escola Europea has opened its Italian headquarters at the premises of the Port Authority of Civitavecchia, investing in the potential of the port and the territory itself. In line with its ideals and goals, the Escola has already launched various projects and is preparing others that are about to begin – all designed to help develop the region. Its flagship – the MOST Italy course for professionals – is now in its sixth consecutive year. The course is an advanced training initiative for professionals that focuses on the Motorways of the Sea, and the promotion of intermodal transport as a base for sustainable transport chains of the future. This year’s edition will take place on board of a Grimaldi Lines Ro-Pax from 10 to 13 October 2020 on a crossing between Civitavecchia and Barcelona. During the training participants will have the opportunity to experience sustainable intermodal maritime logistics and the motorways of the sea first-hand, with ample networking opportunities provided to foster professional relationships that will last once the course is over.

Another project that the Escola has launched last year, which was welcomed by the training institutes and the Municipality itself, is “Formati al Porto”. This initiative, sponsored by key national associations, aims to bring students closer to the Port of Civitavecchia and its port community.  It is exclusively offered to university students, ITS students and those attending the last year of their high schools with study paths related to transport, logistics, circular and international economies. In this context, “Formati al Porto” will help today’s students – future professionals – acquire knowledge of the professions of the logistics sector, with a particular focus on maritime activities and intermodal transport. Ultimately the project will lead to a better technical preparation of the students, which will have an impact on the employability index of the participants.

The Port Network Authorities predict that the ports will be the ones to kickstart the recovery of the Italian economy. In the meantime the Port Authority of Centre-North Tyrrhenian Sea (of which the Port of Civitavecchia is part of) can move from the comprehensive network to the core network, a shift which would guarantee access to new resources and future possibilities to the port that serves as the gateway to the eternal city of Rome.

Final thoughts…

Milton Friedman, an American economist and a Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences laureate, once said that “only a crisis – real or perceived – produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around”. The Italian peninsula was hit very hard by the health emergency, and it is now that we will begin to see whether any real change (societal or industrial) will take place. The Port Authority of the Centre-North Tyrrhenian Sea has a tough and uncertain path ahead – with a potential shift towards freight-focused operations and the investment in infrastructures that would kickstart the economic recovery of the region. The ideas area certainly rampant – with sustainable transport options and innovative solutions to terminal operations available to all. Education is the key to identify and implement many of these changes – and it is in our hands to produce real change and make sure that the tragedy of Covid-19 has some positive outcomes.

Sources

The Escola prepares a new edition of the course MOST Italy dedicated to Italian professionals

/in ,

MOST Italy is a training course for professionals that the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport offers exclusively to the members of Italian logistics and transport sector.

This year’s edition, the fifth in a row, will last four days and will be held on board of a Grimaldi Lines Ro-Pax vessel, a leading company specialising in short sea shipping services that connect the Italian peninsula to the port of Barcelona.

The course is aimed exclusively at professionals of varying profiles: logistics operators, shipping agencies, port authorities and relevant institutions in the sector. The objective of the training is to introduce the participants to the key elements needed to build efficient supply chains, which can incorporate the motorways of the sea as a sustainable alternative to land transport, and as a crucial element of the intermodal turn. In addition to lectures offering theoretical knowledge, the course offers workshops and visits that allow participants to experience and directly observe intermodal operations.

To complement the study, networking activities will be organised to facilitate the development and exchange of contacts details between professionals and experts in the national sector. It is the relationships that are created during the course that make it a unique experience, as one of the participants of the 2018 edition explained: “The organization of the course is impeccable. I hope to be able to attend more courses in the coming years, to increase my network of knowledge, deepen my studies and find new incentives to improve and continue to grow”.

The training is given by experts and professionals from the Italian and Spanish sectors, ensuring that the participants receive high quality educational content. The teaching team will be composed of representatives of companies and institutions directly involved in the management of short sea shipping in Italy: port authorities, shipping companies and the Mediterranean Motorway Network.

The course, in addition to being able to count on the support of the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, has the support of important associations in the sector, including: Assoporti, Confitarma, Assarmatori and ALIS (Associazione Logistica dell’Intermodalità Sostenibile). One of the main objectives of ALIS, which has united more than 400 companies, is to promote intermodality as a logistical solution perfectly combining the philosophy that moves and inspires the Escola in its training activities.

A list of all the courses for professionals offered by the Escola  with the relevant programmes can be found here:

https://escolaeuropea.eu/training/professional-courses/.

A hugely successful fourth edition of the MOST Italy course in intermodal maritime logistics takes place in Italy

/in ,

As in previous years, the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport has concluded with great success another edition of the MOST (Motorways of the Sea Training) Italy course in intermodal logistics for Italian professionals. From 29 September to 2 October, 32 participants from Italy and Brazil attended this edition of the training.

The inauguration ceremony was held at the Port Authority of Civitavecchia, seat of the ADSP of the Centre-North Tyrrhenian Sea and founding member of the Escola. Its president Francesco Maria Di Majo, accompanied by the Director of Harbour Security of the Ministry of Infrastructures, Mauro Coletta, have given the welcome to the participants and briefly introduced the present and the near future of intermodality in the Mediterranean and the fundamental importance of training in order to exploit the whole potential of the motorways of the sea.

Following the first theoretical classes on land, the large group of participants, accompanied by the teachers of the course, all of whom were experts in short sea shipping (SSS), boarded the Grimaldi Lines Ro-Pax vessel CRUISE BARCELONA, en route to Barcelona, along one of the motorways of the sea studied in the course.

Once again the Escola Europea was able to count on the collaboration of RAM (Rete Autostrade Mediterranee) Logistica – Infrastrutture – Trasport and ALIS (Associazione Logistica dell’Intermodalità Sostenibile), as well as the support of the Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport, Confitarma and Assoporti  for the organisation of the training.

During the four days of the course, the participants studied logistics and transport issues through theoretical lectures and practical workshops.

Andrea Campagna, from the Research Centre for Transport and Logistics of La Sapienza University in Rome, offered an in-depth analysis of transport costs, service times and other competitive factors to open the debate on the feasibility of a sustainable alternative to short sea shipping; Francesco Benevolo, director of RAM SpA, presented a wide overview of the motorways of the sea in Europe and explained the European Union’s environmental policy on transport, paying special attention to the fiscal incentives MAREBONUS and FERROBONUS, designed for intermodal transport; Nicolò Berghinz, representative of ALIS, presented some real cases of companies affiliated to the association that have successfully focused on intermodality to grow in the world of transport. The shipping companies and ports involved in the motorways of the sea between Spain and Italy explained the functioning of their infrastructures dedicated to short sea shipping: for the Port of Barcelona, Ana Arévalo, Commercial Manager specialized in SSS; for Grimaldi Lines, Commercial Manager Marcello Donnarumma; for GNV, Alessandro Feniello, Sales Freight Manager of GNV and for the ADSP of the Northern Central Tyrrhenian Sea, Giovanni Marinucci, Head of International Projects, who offered a presentation of the Port of Civitavecchia.

The contents of the course have been custom designed for the Italian professionals who attended the course, who came from different transport and logistics companies, four port system authorities and two higher technical institutes (ITS) in the Mobility area.

The aim of the training is to present participants with all the benefits to achieve by incorporating motorways of the sea as a key element in building efficient and sustainable supply chains. In addition to the theoretical lessons and workshops, the participants worked hard to solve a case study and were able to observe closely the infrastructure and equipment involved in intermodal operations. Finally, networking activities were organized to facilitate the development of networks of contacts between professionals and experts in the Italian sector who participated in the course.

The comments received from the participants were very positive. The level of satisfaction in this, as in the past, edition was very high: “I feel lucky to have been able to learn with and from professionals in the field, and with a spectacular organization”.

The Escola would like to thank all its founding members (Port de Barcelona, ADSP of the Northern Central Tyrrhenian Sea, Ports of Genoa, Grimaldi Lines and GNV) for their usual cooperation and generosity.

The dates for the fifth edition have already been set: from 5th to 8th of October 2019.

This year the Escola is also planning a course in intermodal maritime logistics for Spanish and Portuguese professionals, MOST Iberia, to be held from 20 to 23 October 2018.

Escola Europea to organise Motorways of the Sea Training courses for European professionals in autumn 2018

/in ,

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.

Tag Archive for: MOST Italy

Icon for the MOST courses

MOST Italy – Sicilia 2024

/in ,
Read more
Icon for the MOST courses

MOST Italy: Civitavecchia – Barcelona 2024

/in ,
Read more