Tag Archive for: MOST

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

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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.

Navigating the Currents of Change: Insights from the Helm of P&O Ferrymasters

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Oscar Rodenas, General Manager for Spain – P&O Ferrymasters

This month we are launching our “Journeys in Learning” series, during which we will be interviewing key members of our community on topics that are near and dear to us. For this first issue, we have interviewed Mr. Oscar Ródenas Ujaque, the General Manager for Spain of P&O Ferrymasters.

Combining Teaching and Professional Practice

Q1: Reflecting on your extensive experience in the logistics sector, how does this enrich your role as a teacher at TecnoCampus, and conversely, how does teaching inform your professional practice as a logistics manager at P&O Ferrymasters?

The integration of theoretical knowledge with practical application benefits both students and educators. Students gain foresight into their career goals, and educators solidify and expand upon these aspects, infusing their teaching with insights drawn from actual industry experience. This dual approach, particularly for those of us with substantial sector experience, allows us to share real-world scenarios in the classroom, bridging gaps that traditional academic teaching might leave.

The Role of English in Logistics

Q2: With the introduction of teaching Warehouse Management in English, can you discuss the importance of English proficiency for logistics and transportation professionals, especially in your role with the European Management Team at DP World?

Mastery of English is indeed vital, given that it is the lingua franca of business. Ensuring fluency in English is crucial if one aspires to work internationally or maintain cross-border professional relationships. For me, teaching in English is a step towards normalizing its use as a primary means of communication that must be navigated with ease and precision. Professionally, staying current with the logistics market and educational offerings, like the European School’s innovative programs on sustainable transportation, is imperative. Initiatives like the ‘Motorways of the Sea’ demonstrate logistics’ potential to be eco-friendly and innovative, pushing the industry forward alongside societal advancements in digitalization and sustainability.

Hiring for the Logistics Sector

Q3: In your capacity as a hiring manager at a company renowned for its fast-paced logistics operations, what key competencies do you seek in candidates, and do you find that today’s young applicants meet these criteria?

The hiring landscape has indeed shifted; we look beyond impressive resumes and training, which we now consider a given. Instead, we seek individuals who bring unique talents, can relate well to others, and enhance their work environment. We expect newcomers to challenge the status quo with innovative, efficient, and sustainable logistics solutions.

The Attraction and Challenges of the Logistics Sector

Q4: How would you portray the dual nature of the logistics sector, with its exhilarating pace yet demanding environment, to the younger generation?

The logistics sector is challenging and unyielding, requiring professionals to be agile and perpetually learning. It pushes individuals out of their comfort zones and demands their utmost dedication. Simultaneously, it offers an invigorating career—never dull, always rewarding—making it compelling despite its demands. As they say in logistics, once you’re in, you’re hooked, due to its captivating nature. One must be ready to navigate its intensity.

Impact of E-commerce on the Logistics Sector

Q5: Considering the transformation brought by e-commerce to logistics, how do you envision its future development, and what advice would you offer aspiring professionals?

E-commerce, having surged during the pandemic, has since stabilized to a steady growth trajectory. It remains a pivotal force driving logistics innovation, increasingly intertwined with digital technologies and AI. Looking forward, students should remain abreast of industry trends and developments, perhaps through reputable logistics publications.

Experience as Accompanying Professor in the Escola’s MOST Course

Q6: Having served as an accompanying professor on the MOST course by Escola Europea, could you share your experience and the main insights you’ve gained? Would you endorse this experience for your peers?

Concluding with my utmost endorsement, the course was exceptional in every facet. From a professional standpoint, the high-caliber presentations and up-to-date content were impressive. The practical exercises and case study methodology brought a high level of engagement and inspiration for all participants. Witnessing the dedication of students working into the night on case solutions reaffirmed my confidence in the capabilities of the upcoming generations. Beyond the professional realm, the human connections forged during this course were invaluable and deeply enriching.

Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport Forges Strategic Partnership with STC Group to Enhance Intermodal Training Opportunities

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In the photo (left to right): Ramon van Hal, lecturer and specialist in port logistics; Hans Wentink, Director, STC Group; Eduard Rodés, Director, Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport; Marta Miquel, Chief Business Officer, Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport

The Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport, a renowned European centre for logistics and intermodal transport training, is proud to announce a new partnership with the STC Group, the main training institute in the Port of Rotterdam led by its Director, Hans Wentink, and supported by Ramon van Hal, a distinguished Lecturer specialising in port logistics.

This dynamic collaboration marks the framework for a collaboration which started seven years ago and it is now stated as key for both institutions. This agreement defines a journey to enrich the intermodal training landscape by bringing together two influential institutions dedicated to education and industry excellence.

Eduard Rodés, Director of the Escola Europea, expressed his enthusiasm for this collaboration, stating, “We are thrilled to join forces with the STC Group. This partnership opens up vast opportunities for students in Rotterdam and Barcelona, allowing them to explore the intricacies of maritime and intermodal transport. Together, we aim to foster innovation and cultivate the next generation of logistics leaders.”

During a day of intensive discussions and facility presentations, the Escola Europea team showcased their facilities to the Dutch experts. The result of these fruitful deliberations is a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that outlines several key objectives:

  • Establishing an institutional framework to facilitate collaboration on international and European projects, aimed at developing new training programmes and enhancing student mobility between the two countries.
  • Sharing best practices within the framework of the Port Logistics International Knowledge Academy – PLIKA, in collaboration with other network partners.
  • Strengthening cooperation in the fields of human resources development and youth training, recognizing their pivotal role in shaping the future of logistics.

The collaboration will focus on a diverse range of training areas, including foreign trade, sustainable development, freight forwarding, intermodal transport, port logistics, energy transition, and distribution logistics.

The Escola Europea specialises in courses in the Mediterranean designed for current and future professionals responsible for managing logistics chains, offering cost-effective alternatives in terms of service, cost, and time. In contrast, the STC Group brings extensive expertise in higher education focused on transport and port operations. This partnership provides a comprehensive training proposition in intermodal freight transport, offering students a wealth of opportunities to excel.

The Escola Europea prides itself in employing an experiential learning methodology, combining theoretical instruction with hands-on facility visits to introduce the concept of ‘co-modality’ as a tool for improving transport management. With access to port and rail facilities, students gain first-hand insights into intermodal logistics and transport operations. Furthermore, the Escola’s Port Virtual Lab, an innovative and comprehensive platform, offers cutting-edge technological and educational tools, enabling international trade, logistics, and transport students and professionals to simulate real-life operations and access a wide range of resources to enhance their knowledge and skills.

As a prominent educational institution, the STC Group is a household name in the world of shipping, transport, logistics, and the process industry in Rotterdam and beyond. The organisation is dedicated to providing high-quality education and training to learners of all ages and actively participates in European knowledge projects, contributing to the development of future professional requirements and educational programmes.

The Escola Europea Wraps Up Another Successful Edition of MOST Iberia Course

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The Escola Europea is delighted to announce the successful conclusion of the latest edition of the MOST Iberia course, bringing together professionals from the Spanish and Portuguese logistics-port sectors. Notably, this year’s course witnessed a significant shift in participant demographics, with an increasing number of professionals from Portuguese companies actively engaging in the programme, returning to the shape that the course had pre-pandemic.

Over the course of four enriching days, professionals from diverse organizations, including ENIDH, Move Expert, Adm Porto Sines, Deloitte (with three participants), A3 Logistics, Port de Barcelona, Universidad A Coruña, Port of Tarragona, and Noatum (with two participants) from Spain and Portugal convened in Barcelona. This collective gathering allowed for an engaging exchange of knowledge, the sharing of experiences, and the forging of lasting professional relationships.

The course, which focused on intermodal logistics and motorways of the sea, provided an ideal platform for participants to enhance their competencies, while the unique environment of a crossing on Grimaldi Lines‘ Ro-Pax ferry between Barcelona and Civitavecchia allowed for a deeper understanding of each participant’s unique experiences.

Guided by a panel of expert professors, which included individuals such as Vitor Caldeirinha, the Director of SPC Intermodal Portugal, Javier Méndez, responsible for short sea shipping at the Port of Barcelona, and Antonio Vargas, an advisor of Grimaldi Logística España, the participants benefited from a well-rounded learning experience.

During the course, professionals from these diverse backgrounds came together in Barcelona to embark on a journey of knowledge sharing and collaboration. They explored various aspects of intermodal logistics and motorways of the sea, enhancing their professional skills and expanding their human networks.

The group also had the privilege of participating in a crossing on Grimaldi Lines’ Ro-Pax ferry, which connects Barcelona with Civitavecchia. This unique setting allowed participants to exchange knowledge, idiosyncrasies, and previous experiences from their respective countries.

One of the course highlights was the case study where participants tackled a real-life scenario related to short sea shipping viability. They applied direct and external cost calculations to evaluate economic, environmental, and social aspects of different alternatives.

For more information about the Escola Europea and its courses, please visit the official website at www.escolaeuropea.eu or contact us at info@escolaeuropea.eu.The Escola Europea is committed to facilitating learning, networking, and collaboration within the logistics and port sectors. The success of the MOST Iberia course demonstrates its dedication to fostering knowledge exchange and growth within the industry.

Escola Europea Finalises first Sicily Port Academy Course with Promising Outcomes

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The inaugural course of the Sicily Port Academy, organised by the Escola Europea, the European centre of excellence for logistics and intermodal transport training, concluded yesterday in Palermo. The course saw the participation of more than fifty students from ITS InfoMob Palermo and the University of Palermo’s Transportation Engineering degree programme.

Lupi: “An important achievement just a few months after our entry into the Escola Europea. An opportunity for education and employment.”

Over the course of two days, a series of visits, meetings, and lessons were conducted, all with the overarching goal of fulfilling the course’s objectives. These objectives included equipping high school, ITS Academy, and university students with the essential knowledge required to comprehend the Palermo community, its infrastructure, logistics facilities, and port operations. Additionally, the course aimed to facilitate companies in the sector, through collaborative associations, in showcasing the distinctive aspects of their work and the professional profiles in need of development. Furthermore, it sought to encourage these companies to engage students through internships and school-work programmes.

Rodés: “The beginning of a series of activities for the development of the logistics-port community.”

Eduard Rodés, Director of the Escola Europea, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “We are thrilled to be in collaboration with the Port of Palermo, our recent partner, to share our knowledge and expertise for the purpose of contributing to the sustainable development of port logistics in this region. Initiating a course in Palermo represents a new and significant chapter in the history of the Escola Europea. This achievement is the result of the tireless efforts and dedication of numerous individuals, under the leadership of President Pasqualino Monti, with invaluable contributions from Luca Lupi, numerous other port operators, and, naturally, the Escola Europea team led by Country Manager Italy – Marco Muci and Alessia Mastromattei. For us, this marks the inception of a series of initiatives aimed at fostering the harmonious growth of a more well-prepared and unified logistics-port community.”

Luca Lupi, the Secretary General of the Western Sicily Sea Port Authority (AdSP), expressed his satisfaction, stating, “I am delighted with this remarkable achievement. The course garnered significant interest from participants and was organized shortly after our association with the Escola Europea. I extend my gratitude to Mayor of Palermo, Roberto Lagalla, and Giuseppe Pierro, the Director General of the Regional School Office for Sicily, who wholeheartedly embraced the project’s objectives. This endeavour presents a substantial opportunity for educational and employment growth within the city, particularly in the strategically vital logistics-port sector. Furthermore, I am delighted to announce the upcoming launch of the first navigation course departing from the Port of Palermo and concluding in Genoa. This initiative, also in collaboration with the Escola Europea, is scheduled to commence in the spring of 2024.

The successful completion of the Sicily Port Academy’s inaugural course marks an exciting chapter in the Escola Europea’s journey, showcasing its commitment to fostering collaboration and education in the Italian port and logistics sector. With the Port of Palermo as its newest partner, the Escola Europea is poised to further expand its footprint in Italy. As the institution continues to introduce new courses and projects, we can anticipate a bright future of sustainable development and increased opportunities for students, professionals, and the logistics-port community in this vibrant region.

Escola presents its current and future projects and training to Lluís Salvadó, the President of the Port of Barcelona

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As part of his welcome and incorporation into the presidency of the Port of Barcelona, Lluís Salvadó visited the Barcelona headquarters of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport (Escola Europea), a key player within the Port Community, to learn about new training initiatives and future projects.

On the 21st of February 2023, Lluis Salvadó, President of the Port of Barcelona and Chairman of the Governing Board of the Escola Europea, together with Catalina Grimalt Falcó, Deputy Director General for Organisation and Internal Resources of the Port of Barcelona and Member of the Executive Board, both representing the Port Authority of Barcelona, visited the headquarters of the Escola Europea to learn about the new training initiatives organised and promoted by the training centre, as well as the innovation, digitalisation and sustainable development projects of which the Escola is a part.

Welcoming the  visitors were the Eduard Rodés – Director of the Escola Europea, Concha Palacios – the Financial Director and Head of Projects, Marta Miquel – Business Development Manager, Mireia Ferré – Director of the Technical Office of Sustainability of the Port of Barcelona, Mireia Ferre, and, connected virtually from the headquarters of the Escola Europea in Civitavecchia (Italy), Marco Muci – the Country Manager for Italy.

At the meeting, the Escola’s training activities at both local and international levels were presented, which included Forma’t al Port Talent, the technical courses in maritime intermodality MOST – Motorways of the Sea Training, rail freight transport – SURCO, and management of temperature-controlled logistics chains, together with the training work carried out in Italy within the framework of the Formati al Porto programme and the GLIPS (Management of Integrated Logistics and Maritime Processes) training in Civitavecchia.

The training offer presentation was followed by a summary of the annual participation figures for the previous year, in which a record number of participants was broken with more than 5,542 participants. Of those, 2,111 were students from training and technical courses and 3,431 attended workshops and maritime visits in the Port of Barcelona. The participation figures forecast for the year 2023 showed an estimated 6% growth in student participation of logistics courses and workshops is planned.

The projects that have been consolidated by the institution were also presented to the Catalan port’s leadership: the YEP MED project – Youth Employment in Ports of the Mediterranean – with which a training offer on port logistics has been presented; and the TECHLOG project – Technological Transfer for Logistics Innovation in Mediterranenan area – which foresees the implementation of two ‘Living Labs’ from which the development of innovation actions with simulator technology is foreseen. Both European projects are financed by ENI CBC MED, in which different Mediterranean port communities are participating.

As part of the strategy of consolidation and evolution of the European YEP MED project, the Escola developed the Port Virtual Lab, a virtual simulation laboratory of a port community portvirtuallab.com.

In the photo are from left to right: Director of the Escola Europea, Eduard Rodés, Lluis Salvadó, President of the Port of Barcelona, Financial Director and Head of Projects, Concha Palacios, General Business Director, Marta Miquel, Catalina Grimalt Falcó, Deputy Director General for Organisation and Internal Resources, and Mireia Ferre, Director of the Port of Barcelona’s Technical Office for Sustainability.

In addition, some of the projects that point to the future and are in line with the trends of the Blue Economy, and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), were presented to respond to the training and innovation needs of the industry.

Escola retains popularity with 1700+ students in 2021 despite the pandemic

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Distance learning, digitalisation and online courses marked the evolution of the Escola Europea’s courses despite the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, as was outlined during the bi-annual Executive Committee meeting of the institution held on the 29th of November 2021.

The meeting brought together representatives of the 5 founding partners of the Escola – Catalina Grimalt from the Port Authority of Barcelona, Luca Lupi from the Port Authority of Civitavecchia, Silvio Ferrando from the Port Authority of Genoa, Mario Massarotti from Grimaldi Lines and Mr Antonio Pedevilla from GNV. Representing the Escola Europea, the director Eduard Rodés and the Escola’s Chief Operating Officer Concha Palacios attended.

During the meeting, the Escola’s milestones throughout 2021 were highlighted. The global pandemic has had a toll on the organisation, resulting in an overall drop of courses and students in 2021, as well as in changes in staffing. Nevertheless the pandemic did result in some positive outcomes – with the nation-wide health restrictions the organisation was forced to rethink its course strategy which evolved into a more digitalised approach centering around a Virtual PortLab.

The Escola’s team looked at the evolution of the Escola’s courses and noted that although the organisation has not quite recovered from the drop in 2020, the number of courses has increased to nearly pre-pandemic levels – boding well for the prospects for 2022. In-person courses also restarted in the summer of 2021 as a response to the high demand from partnering universities and educational institutions. This bodes well for the Escola, and the forecast for the coming year is to double the number of courses offered to satisfy this demand.

Towards the end of the year the first edition of the GLIPS (Management of Integrated Logistics and Shipping Processes) course took place as part of the MOST Italy series – which brought 35 professionals from Civitavecchia to Barcelona during the course-workshop and further strengthened the Escola’s commitment to vocational training. Throughout the pandemic the Escola successfully managed to offer Forma’t al Port and the Formati al Porto courses to both Italian and Catalan youth, ensuring the institution’s resilience to unforeseen crises.

During the Committee meeting, a review took place of the projects that the Escola is currently involved in and has planned for 2022. Two ENI CBC Med projects were summarised – YEP MED, in which the Escola is a lead partner, and TechLog. The projects aim to revolutionise the training methodologies offered to young people wanted to enter the port-logistics sector in an increasingly digitised world. Any other new projects under preparation were then presented in advance of their submissions to the European organisations.

2022 looked even brighter in the now newly digitised world of the Escola as the meeting came to a close. The PortVirtualLab platform – initially developed to help support the YEP MED courses as digital learning took center stage in 2020 – will continue to be developed in the coming year with the addition of training profiles of Ship Consignees and Trucking companies. As the platform nears its completion, it will become essential in simulator training for port logistics professionals. The platform serves as a digital copy of real-world port operations, allowing users the flexibility of carrying out transport transactions without the fear of impacting real trade.

The Executive Committee meets twice a year to review the progress and achievements of the Escola Europea’s operations. Its next meeting will take place in the first quarter of 2022.

Group Photo - Participants of the September MOST course

Autumn courses bring a hint of normalcy back to the Escola’s MOST courses

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It has been a difficult 2020-2021 for most of us – with many having to completely reshape and rethink their operations in a newly virtual environment. The Escola has spent a big part of last year and the first half of 2021 offering our signature courses through the Google Classroom lens – hoping to try to bring the Escola’s signature experiential approach to the net. The longing for the traditional approach has not disappeared, however, and both the Escola and the centres have waited for the health crisis to diminish and for on-board courses to be deemed safe again. This moment has arrived in the second semester of 2021.

Having completed one on-board MOST course in the summer, the Escola started the autumn courses with a hybrid MOST courses for students of the Master in Supply Chain Management from the EAE Business School which took place between the 10th and the 16th of September. The course offered online lectures in intermodal logistics and transport operations, as well as had in-person visits to terminals around the Port of Barcelona and a stationed Ro-Pax vessel to visualise the operations first-hand. In total, 13 students could attend the training both online and in person.

“Very well organised and dynamic course. It was very interesting to be able to focus on new proposals for the future and new trends. – Juliene Maksene de EMSUR – EAE course”

This course was then followed by an on-board traditional MOST course that took place between the 18th and the 21st of September. 29 students from the Polytechnic University of Catalunya and Nautical Faculty of Barcelona took part in the training that took place on board of a Ro-Pax shipping vessel between the ports of Barcelona (Spain) and Civitavecchia (Italy). Following the Escola’s signature approach, the students got the opportunity to witness an intermodal transport journey first hand, whilst also learning about the concepts of intermodal transport, transport costs, sustainability, and new technologies. The teachers of the Escola Europea on this occasion were Marta Miquel, the Chief Operating Officer, Antonio Vargas, representing Grimaldi Lines and Eduard Rodés, as course director.

The next month will see the Escola, together with the council of the Prat de Llobregat and Barcelona Activa, organise 3 courses in intermodal transport and port administrations. These courses, which will be carried out online – with an inclusion of some in-person visits to the local port terminals – will provide an all-encompassing overview of the port logistics community and the administrative processes that surround transport operations within a port environment – and will be offered for free for young people and women wishing to find employment in the local port sector. They form part of the training offered under the YEP MED project, which is co-funded by the ENI CBC Med instrument of the European Union.

Diploma ceremony held on the 3rd of July 2021

Escola’s restarts its MOST courses

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Last Saturday, on the 3rd of July, the intermodal transport course “Motorways of the Sea training – MOST” started in Barcelona. In total, thirty five students from 11 different nationalities studying Master’s programmes in Logistics and International Trade, Internationalisation of SMEs and Customs Law and Management at the University of Barcelona participated in the 4-day long training.

The day began with a solemn ceremony to present diplomas to some 100 graduates which, exceptionally and due to health safety measures, was held outdoors in front of the Escola Europea’s headquarters, at Placeta de l’Areté, Terminal Drassanes on the Moll de Barcelona.  On behalf of the Port of Barcelona and the Escola, its director, Eduard Rodés, welcomed the participants.  On behalf of the University of Barcelona, Dr. Oscar Mascarilla, director of the Master’s programmes, spoke. The Honourable Ramon Tremosa, Minister of Business and Knowledge of the Generalitat de Catalunya until a few weeks ago, supported the event and addressed the students, encouraging them to put their knowledge at the service of the competitiveness of their respective countries. Afterwards, the participants and their accompanying family members made a maritime visit to the Port of Barcelona.

The MOST course started early in the afternoon on the same day, and the group departed for Civitavecchia – the port of Rome – on board of the Grimaldi RO-PAX vessel “Cruise Barcelona”. The teachers of the Escola Europea on this occasion were Marta Miquel, the Chief Operating Officer, Antonio Vargas, representing Grimaldi Lines and Eduard Rodés, as course director.

Simultaneously, the first two weeks of July saw the start of the Escola’s annual Summer School in Port Operations for Vessels and for Goods. The course is held in classroom in-person format with the participation of 16 students from Egypt, Yemen and Somalia.

The MOST course is the first on-board course that the Escola was able to hold since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. It is a promising sign showing the ability of the Escola to begin to bring its unique experiential courses back into play.

Escola Europea's Executive Committee meeting - January 2021

1000+ students pass through the Escola’s doors in 2020 despite the pandemic

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Distance learning, digitalisation and online courses will mark the evolution of the Escola Europea in the near future, as was found during the bi-annual Executive Committee meeting on the 21st of January 2021.

The meeting brought together representatives of the 5 founding partners of the Escola – Catalina Grimalt from the Port Authority of Barcelona, Luca Lupi from the Port Authority of Civitavecchia, Silvio Ferrando from the Port Authority of Genoa, Mario Massarotti from Grimaldi Lines and Mr Antonio Pedevilla from GNV. Representing the Escola Europea, the director Eduard Rodés who also serves as the president of the Committee and the Escola’s Chief Financial Officer Concha Palacios – the Committee’s secretary – attended.

During the meeting various milestones of the Escola’s difficult 2020 were reviews. The Covid-19 pandemic had brought the activities of the Escola to nearly a standstill from March 2020 through the summer. A nearly existential shift took place to restructure the Escola’s iconic practical workshop courses to fit the new distance-learning and virtual environment. Nevertheless, there were some important achievements that took place despite the obstacles. More than 1000 students have managed to pass through the Escola’s doors through 19 courses and 12 Logistic Port Workshops. More than 20 scheduled practical courses had to be postponed to an unspecified date due to the global health crisis – a grim conclusion to an already grim 2020.

During the Committee meeting, a review took place of the projects that the Escola is currently involved in and has planned for 2021. A new training course for members of the MEDPorts Association focused on Energy Transition in Ports s is currently in the works, scheduled to take place either virtually or, if the situation permits, in person in May and June 2021. The Escola’s leadership participation in the YEP MED project, co-financed by the European Union, was also highlighted. A new project – called TechLog, was also summarised – this project is currently in the consideration stage of the ENI call for proposals. The Escola’s role in other projects, including RePort as well as the projects it is managing on behalf of the Port of Barcelona such as the CarEsmatic and Core LNGas hive projects, was also highlighted.

The future looked even brighter in the now newly digitised world of the Escola as the meeting came to a close. Eduard Rodés highlighted the upcoming new collaboration with the Occitan Region of the South of France in the new “Vivez l’intermodalité” project – an expansion of the Forma’t al Port in France. Moreover, the development of a new Virtual Lab, brought to life through the YEP MED project characteristics, is looking to bring new life to the TransLogMed project in 2021.

The Executive Committee meets twice a year to review the progress and achievements of the Escola Europea’s operations. Its next meeting will take place in November 2021.

Tag Archive for: MOST

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MOST Italy – Sicilia 2024

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MOST Italy: Civitavecchia – Barcelona 2024

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