Tag Archive for: Port of Barcelona

An immersive programme for Indonesian port executives

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This week the Escola Europea has welcomed 20 port executives from the Pelindo terminals located in Indonesia to the Port of Barcelona for an immersion in the good practices of the Catalan port.

Between the 14th and the 17th of March, the Escola Europea-Intermodal Transport, together with Deloitte Spain and their counterparts in Indonesia, carried out an immersive programme consisting of site visits, technical sessions and discussion forums with industry experts in Barcelona for a group of executives from Indonesia.

The executives of the public port company Pelindo came from the holding company and different sub-holdings of the group: maritime businesses, containerised terminals, bulk terminals and general cargo terminals. The group was led by the representative of the Ministry of Public Enterprises of the Government of Indonesia.

The objectives of the programme were to gain first-hand knowledge of Barcelona Port’s management, as well as to understand the design and execution of its strategic proposal, which orients its actions towards the monitoring of KPIs and the achievement of strategic objectives. The speakers who accompanied the group in the sessions came from the top levels of the port community, with the participation of executives such as Santiago Garcia-Milà from the Port of Barcelona, Eduard Rodés from the Escola Europea, Javier Gallardo from Portic, Gonzalo Bort from Tradebe, Carlos Artigas from Autoterminal, and Francisco Jimenez from Deloitte, among many other professionals and specialists in the sector.

The group attended various workshops and visits, including to the terminals BEST, Grimaldi, Tradebe, Autoterminal, the Busan-Barcelona (B2B) logistics centre and the Maersk shipping company’s warehouse in the ZAL (Logistics Activities Zone).

At the same time, the Indonesian delegation was interested in the training and employment work carried out by the Port of Barcelona through the Escola Europea and described this activity as a first step in collaboration in the field of professional development and human capital of the ports of Pelindo

Barcelona Port’s Training and Employment Group

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Striving for excellence in the War for Talent

Barcelona: a city that needs no introduction.

All around the world, when you say the name Barcelona, you can be certain that the name will be recognised thanks to the tourists it attracts and the economic growth that the city experienced over the past three decades. The port of Barcelona, therefore,  is a historical place as well as a nodal point where business development and connection between ports and companies take place.

Within this node and as a response to the problematic lack of qualified talent in the sector, a unique initiative was born. This initiative – called the Training and Employment Group of the Port of Barcelona – exists today to ensure that the Barcelona Port Community (which helps fuel the city’s growth) can access the skills and training opportunities needed to meet the ever-changing demands of our modern-day industry. It is also the first step in our journey to “Discover the Port.”

The Training and Employment Group

The Training and Employment Group of the Port of Barcelona is an initiative aimed at promoting job creation, training, and professional development in the port community of Barcelona. The group is comprised of various organizations and institutions, including the Barcelona Port Authority, the Generalitat of Catalonia, the City Council of Barcelona, and various industry associations and trade unions.

The main objective of the Training and Employment Group is to ensure that the port community has access to the necessary skills and training required to meet the demands of the industry and to promote job creation and professional development.  The group works to identify the needs of the port community and to develop training programs and initiatives that are tailored to these needs.

Some of the key activities of the Training and Employment Group include organizing training courses, seminars, and workshops on topics such as logistics, customs, and port operations. The group also works to promote apprenticeships and internships within the port community, providing opportunities for individuals to gain practical experience and to develop their skills.

In addition to its training and employment initiatives, the group also works to promote social responsibility and sustainable development within the port community. This includes initiatives aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion within the industry, as well as promoting environmental sustainability and energy efficiency.

Whom does the Group serve?

The Training and Employment Group exists to support the development and growth of the Port Community of Barcelona. The port community comprises a diverse range of companies and organizations, all working together to ensure the smooth functioning of the port and to support the broader needs of the city.

This Port Community is made up of various stakeholders who form a tightly-knit network of companies and organisations, including the port authority, shipping companies, logistics operators, freight forwarders, and customs agents, among others. Together, they form a collaborative network that works towards the efficient and sustainable operation of the port.

The port community of Barcelona also contributes significantly to the city’s economy, providing employment opportunities for thousands of people and generating significant revenue. According to a report by the Barcelona Port Authority, the port community contributes around €2.5 billion annually to the local economy, with the port itself handling over 67 million tons of cargo each year. It is therefore evident that the human capital operating within this community is indispensable towards the continued success of the Catalan capital.

Who’s who in the Group?

The Training and Employment Group (Grupo de Trabajo de Formación y Empleo) of the Port of Barcelona is made up of various organizations and institutions, including:

  • Barcelona Port Authority: The port authority is responsible for managing and promoting the port of Barcelona, and is one of the key members of the Training and Employment Group;
  • Generalitat of Catalonia: The Generalitat is the government of Catalonia, the autonomous region of Spain where Barcelona is located. It plays a key role in promoting economic development and job creation in the region;
  • City Council of Barcelona: The City Council is responsible for the administration of the city of Barcelona, and plays a key role in promoting economic and social development in the city;
  • Industry associations: Various industry associations are also members of the Training and Employment Group, including the Barcelona Port Community, the Catalan Association of Freight Forwarders, and the Catalan Association of Customs Agents;
  • Trade unions: Trade unions also play a role in the Training and Employment Group, representing the interests of workers in the port community and working to promote job creation and professional development;
  • Educational institutions: Finally, educational institutions such as universities and vocational training centers are also members of the group, providing training and educational programmes to support the professional development of individuals in the port community.

Who are the Stakeholders? The players and the roles they play

There are several kinds of companies that exist within the port community of Barcelona, each playing a critical role in its overall functioning. These include shipping lines, freight forwarders, terminal operators, customs agents, and logistics companies:

  • Shipping lines are responsible for transporting goods from one place to another;
  • Freight forwarders handle the transportation of goods from one point to another;
  • Terminal operators provide the infrastructure necessary for the handling of cargo at the port, such as cranes, storage facilities, and other equipment;
  • Customs agents are responsible for ensuring that goods entering or leaving the port are compliant with relevant regulations and requirements;
  • Logistics companies manage the movement of goods from the port to their final destination.

All these companies work together to ensure that the port operates efficiently and effectively, handling a large volume of cargo and facilitating international trade. Through the training initiatives and employment opportunities offered by the Group, these actors can ensure that their employees are continuously nourished and supported in their professional development and have the necessary skills and tools to stay on top of the rapidly-changing trends in the modern industry.

Final thoughts

Overall, the Training and Employment Group of the Port of Barcelona is a key player in promoting job creation and professional development within the port community of Barcelona. By providing access to training and skills development opportunities, the group is helping to ensure that the port community remains competitive and able to meet the demands of the industry, while also promoting social responsibility and sustainable development.

There is no doubt that the port community of Barcelona is a critical component of the city’s economy and society, comprising a diverse range of companies and organizations working together to ensure the efficient functioning of the port and the broader needs of the city. By collaborating closely and leveraging their expertise and resources, the Training and Employment Group is playing a key role in supporting the port’s (and by extension the city’s) growth and development and will continue to do so in the years to come.

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Barcelona Port’s Training and Employment Working Group encourages training for road transport

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New studies must help companies recruit people trained in the fields of driving and road transport management.

On the 29th of September, in the framework of the Working Group on ‘Training and Employment’ of the Port Authority of Barcelona, an information day has been held regarding the new courses that have launched during the current academic year 2022-23 at the Institute of Logistics of Barcelona and the Institute of the Virgin of the Mercè, as part of the Consortium of Education of Barcelona.

These new studies must help companies recruit people trained in the fields of driving and road transport management.

The road transport sector, through ATEC and SINTRAPORT – the sectoral associations in Barcelona – has identified a lack of specific professional profiles for the development of the economic activity of transport companies. The sector is suffering from the ageing of its workers, especially those engaged in driving, and has detected the lack of profiles as urgent as that of traffic bottlenecks.

In order to combat this situation and attract talent among transport companies in Barcelona, the Barcelona Education Consortium has launched a comprehensive strategy to respond to the situation:

  • The introduction of a new professional training cycle on driving vehicles, to train future lorry drivers.
  • The creation of an integral training center in logistics: the Barcelona Logistics Institute, to prepare courses based on transport management profiles.

It has been noted that throughout 2021 approximately 1000 new vocational training jobs were created from the 11,000 existing ones, and to which 20,000 applications were received. This is in addition to the high employability of students finishing the Dual Training programmes which showed a 70-80% recruitment rate in the first year of completion of the studies, in fields directly related to the studies completed.

In the light of these initiatives, the ‘Training and Employment’ Working Group of the Port of Barcelona Governing Council has organised a day to share the strategy and formative offer initiated by this academic course with the transport community, with the aim of creating synergies between companies and training centres through training projects, dual FP practices and demand-fitting talent recruitment.

During the event Eduard Rodés, the chairman of the Working Group and director of the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport, expressed the needs of the sector. He was accompanied by Oscar González, the president of ATEC and Jorge Fernández, the president of SINTRAPORT,.

In response, Josep Ramon Domingo, from the Directorate of Post-Compulsory and Special Regime Education of the Barcelona Consortium, Alex Salinas, the deputy director of the Institute of the Virgin of the Mercè and Mercedes García, teacher and head of studies at the ILB have explained the strategy, content and ways of close collaboration between centers and companies.

Finally, Francesc Bonada, Head of Organization and Sustainability of the Port of Barcelona and Eduard Rodés, have closed the event by recalling the importance of collaboration with the business fabric to know the occupational needs and be able to adapt the training cycles to the current trends of the business community.

The Escola Europea is committed to sustainability and digitisation

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The Executive and Steering Committees of the Escola Europea met in Barcelona on 26th May for its annual meeting to talk about sustainability.

On 26th May, the Executive and Steering Committees of the Escola Europea met in Barcelona under the presidency of Damià Calvet. After two years of online meetings, this year 2022 the meeting was held in hybrid format on the premises of the Port Authority of Barcelona.

The meeting was attended by Silvio Ferrando representing the ports of Genoa; Luca Lupi on behalf the ports of Rome; Mario Massarotti as a representative of Grimaldi Group; Matteo Catani and Antonio Pedevila in the name of GNV; Catalina Grimalt for the Port of Barcelona and Eduard Rodés and Concha Palacios for the Escola Europea.

In the balance of activities for the financial year 2021, the recovery of face-to-face activities and the favorable evolution of the year 2022 stood out, in which the number of students and courses has grown more than in 2019. The activities related to international projects have also grown and the presence of the Escola Europea in the Mediterranean countries has been consolidated.

 

It is worth highlighting the commitment to the portvirtuallab.com platform, which has meant a technological leap in the development of training models for the digital transition, based on virtual simulators. This places the Escola as a benchmark for innovation in the field of digitalisation in the logistics-port sector.

A second innovative element has been the creation of a sustainability office specialized in the port logistics sector.  Managed by specialists in sustainability management, its objective is to provide support to companies that need to draw up their sustainability reports.

Training, digitalisation and sustainability make up the basic axes of development of the Escola Europea, which this year reaches its 15th anniversary. With a huge activity in Spain and Italy the schools presence has increased in importance across the Western and Eastern Mediterranean.

 

Sustainability

The Escola and the Port of Barcelona get closer to sustainability

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The second decade of the 21st century has brought sustainability into the limelight in many ports of our globalised world. The port of Barcelona has already been involved in numerous activities related to sustainability over the years, and in March 2022 it has selected the Escola Europea to officially serve as the Technical Office of Port Sustainability – with a strengthened effort to reach the goals set by the Spanish and European authorities that aim to curb transport emissions by 2030.

The passing of the Law on State Ports in 1992 by the Spanish government marked the beginning of the creation of the Port Authorities, the establishment of a new model for the organisation and operation of the port systems and eliminating the figures of the Autonomous Ports and the Port Boards. One year later, the constitution of the Port of Barcelona as a single Port Community was established. Since then, every 5 years the port has developed a Strategic Plan with the goal of revising the port’s primary goals and strengthening the port community every half a decade. In the latest Strategic Plan, the Port of Barcelona has emphasized the increasing need to bring sustainable transport solutions to the forefront of the port’s activities, and therewith put Barcelona in the frontlines of modern ports.

The III Strategic Plan, which covered the period from 2015 to 2020, characterised at the Port of Barcelona (APB) by the approval of two framework documents for the Port Community’s action and governance of the Port Community: the APB’s 3rd Strategic Plan 2015-2020, which, together with growth and competitiveness, placed sustainability as one of the three central axes for framing all aspects of the business. On the other hand, the approval in 2016 of the Sector Sustainability Plan in 2016, which introduced a new way of approaching sustainability, engaging with it and of relating to the organisations of the Port Community by collecting and processing of non-financial information based on the development of benchmark indicators. In addition, the Port of Barcelona has been a pioneer in incorporating the sectoral view directly into its reporting and by linking it to the 2030 Agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

As such, the Port Authority opened a tender for the creation of a Technical Office of Port Sustainability of the Port of Barcelona, which it awarded to the Escola Europea – Intermodal Transport in March of 2022. The contract itself has a duration of 1 year, with the potential for further extensions thereafter.

The Escola’s services will be strengthened and configured in line with sector trends and the Port of Barcelona’s strategic plan, including the promotion of the intermodal transport and energy transition courses as part of the environmental sustainability actions of the port authority; the creation of a Training and Employment Working Group that will promote social sustainability among the different actors of the port community; and finally expanding the new Port Virtual Lab interface to showcase digitalisation efforts in the area.

Forma't al Port Annual Report

Forma’t al Port closes 2020 with a positive outlook for 2021

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2020 has been a tricky year for all sectors of society – something felt quite palpably by training centres. Many schools and universities have had to adapt their training methodologies to protect the student and teaching bodies from the deadly virus that has swept through our society. The Escola has adapted its programmes as well, introducing hybrid formats of some of the courses, including for its unique Forma’t al Port programme. Although the online part of the newly re-designed courses sacrificed a little of the Escola’s unique experiential teaching approach – which aims to bring the students closer to the places where the operations physically take place – the hybridisation of it (which entailed offering safely distanced in-person visits of the port facilities) ensured that the students could get a 360° view of port operations.

The Escola’s Forma’t Al Port programme, launched in 2016 – aims to give students of the final years of secondary education in the Catalan region of Spain first-hand knowledge of the Port of Barcelona, its infrastructures, logistical equipment and operations, and to showcase the means of transport they operate. Simultaneously it aims to give companies in the sector a space to introduce the characteristics of their activities and to introduce professional profiles they need in order to develop properly. By working with local companies and training institutions, it also works towards the creation of a framework for dialogue and idea exchanges between the two – therewith ensuring innovation and development in the sector, as well as the alignment between the training needs of companies and the curricula offered by the centres themselves. Finally, the Escola works with the partners of the project to try to encourage the companies to hire students in dual-training programmes, therewith letting them to put a foot through the door of the professional and industry world.

Last year, largely because of the pandemic that led to the postponement of the 2nd part of the Forma’t al Port training, the programme welcomed 454 students from 16 public and private training centres (institutes and universities) in Barcelona, including el Prat de Llobregat, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Mataró, Santa Perpètua de la Mogoda, Sant Adrià del Besòs and La Sènia. All of these students completed the Forma’t al Port – Introduction course, and will wait until the public health situation calms down before continuing on to complete the the Forma’t al Port – Management courses – which are predominanty presential and thus could not be carried out this past year. With a large number of centres determined to continue the collaboration with the Escola, 2021 looks brighter for the programme and will surely bring many more new minds to the logistics and port sector.

The official Annual Report of the project is now available online. You can download the document here or head to the Forma’t al Port website. For more information you can contact: formatalport@escolaeuropea.eu.

Smart Ports: Piers of the Future

Smart Ports: Piers of the Future, a window to the world

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Logo - Smart Ports

Showing the world the advances in the digitalisation and sustainability of ports is necessary to promote the development and decarbonisation of maritime-port activities. Smart City Expo World Congress, an international event focused on urban evolution and innovation, has become the ideal setting in which to do this.

Therefore, in the ninth edition held in November 2019, the Port of Barcelona organised an exhibition space called Smart Ports: Piers of the Future to which it invited the most advanced ports in the world in this field. These ports were: Antwerp, Hamburg, Los Angeles, Montreal and Rotterdam.

Smart Ports - Piers of the Future 2019

Participants at the Smart Ports: Piers of the Future event at the 2019 Smart City World Congress Expo

A new edition of ‘Smart Ports: Piers of the Future’ is being held again this year and, as a novelty, the Port of Busan —the largest on the Korean peninsula— will also be present.

This time, due to the current pandemic, ‘Smart City Expo World Congress’ will be held in a virtual format called Smart City Live 2020. Similarly, ‘Smart Ports: Piers of the Future’ has developed its own 100% online platform where you can stream the event. The event will take place on November 17 and 18 under the motto ‘Thinking Ahead, Globally’.

The Smart Ports: Piers of the Future agenda includes topics such as: Digital Playbook, Innovative Technologies, Cybersecurity, Energy Transition, Smart Piers Cities and Blockchain, among others. In addition, as a partner of Smart City Live 2020, Smart Ports is collaborating on a panel to discuss ‘smart ports’ – ‘smart cities’. Jordi Torrent (Strategy Director of the Port of Barcelona), Jens Meier (CEO of the Port of Hamburg) and Gene Seroka (CEO of the Port of Los Angeles) will take part in this debate.

Smart Ports 2020 is emerging as the ideal opportunity for the exchange of ideas, projects and initiatives related to the sector, and will act as a global partner of Smart City Expo World Congress. It is an event of global relevance that seeks to give visibility to proposals, business models and innovation, focused on ports and their relationship with the world. This event will serve to show the importance of having a smart and digitalised port, committed to the environment but, above all, connected with the inhabitants of their cities and the planet.

Port Summit Trade Mission - Colombia 2020

Port Summit Trade Mission – Colombia 2020

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The Port of Barcelona will participate in its first ever hybrid Trade Mission between the 4th and 5th of November. The event will have representatives from Colombia as the main protagonists.

This hybrid event will see leaders from the Port of Barcelona and Colombia’s port logistics sector share their experiences through lectures, technical panels and bilateral meetings. It will be an excellent opportunity to establish commercial relations with counterparts from the Latin American country. It will also be the Port’s first event that will combine presencial and online events, allowing for a larger participation. It will be held 4 and 5 November with the logistic and port agents of Colombia and Spain, with the goal of improving and increasing trade relations and identifying new opportunities to negotiate and strengthen strategic alliances in the business and institutional environment.

The event will be open to members of the public interested in learning about the growing relationship between the two countries. To virtually attend the Trade Mission, you can register online to secure your place.

The Port of Barcelona is one of the Escola’s founding partners, and it is also its home base. Eduard Rodés, the director of the Escola, frequently participates in the port’s Trade Missions to help promote intermodal training in all corners of the world.

Barcelona Remains Europe’s Fastest Growing Port

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The Port of Barcelona achieved record results in 2018 across all main traffic indicators, solidifying its position as a key facilitator of export activity.

During the financial year 2018, Barcelona handled 67.7 million tonnes of cargo, representing a 10% increase on the port’s total volume for 2017.

According to a statement, the record-breaking volumes were largely driven by a 15% year-on-year increase in container traffic, Barcelona moving 3.4 million TEU during 2018.

Read a Port Technology technical paper by Olaf Merk, International Transport Forum, to understand demand-driven port development.

This rise in container volume underlines Barcelona’s status as the fastest growing port in Europe, as it comes on top of a 32.5% increase already achieved during 2017.

The results also confirm an increase in intermodality, with the significant growth marked in rail transport helping to boost sustainability of the logistics chains passing through the Port of Barcelona.

China has consolidated its role as Barcelona’s main trading partner, with 25% of the containers passing through the port either beginning or ending their journey in the Far East.

“Motorways of the Sea”, regular lines connecting Barcelona with various destinations in Italy and North Africa, progressed in 2018 as well, diverting approximately 150,000 trucks from the road to the “maritime mode”, a more sustainable option.

In economic terms, the port achieved a net turnover of nearly US$198 million, up 4% from the previous year.

Grimaldi begins the remodeling of the ferries that operate between Barcelona and Civitavecchia

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Grimaldi has started the process of lengthening and remodelling the Cruise Roma and Cruise Barcelona ferries, which usually cover the route between Barcelona and Civitavecchia, in Italy.

The changes will ensure that the vessels will have a greater capacity for freight and passengers, and they will incorporate new improvements to reduce their emissions and eliminate them completely during the stay in the Catalan port.

At the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, new gas cleaning systems will be installed to reduce the emissions of their engines during navigation. They will also have a new lithium battery system to store the electricity produced during navigation and supply it to the ship when it is moored in the port, replacing the auxiliary generators.

The goal is to reduce emissions to zero during the vessels’ stays in the ports, thus aligning with the environmental objectives that the Port of Barcelona has already set, defined in its Air Quality Improvement Plan.

In addition, the hulls will be lengthened with a new cross section of 29 meters, after which they will have a length of 254 meters, a gross weight of 63,000 tons and capacity for 3,500 passengers, 3,700 linear meters for rolling cargo and 3,000 m² of roof for vehicles.

The two vessels are certified Arete recipients of the Escola Europea.

Source: Cadena de Suministro