Duration: 2 hours
Description:
Ports in Europe are vital trade gateways, accommodating both international but also intra-European freight flows. Dynamics in the port network of Europe prove to be changing over the last decade, with South-East ports heavily raising their competitiveness following a number of large-scale investments and the establishment / promotion of new trading routes. Along with the shipping sector, ports are also working intensively for accelerating the transition towards a more sustainable future, paving the way towards zero-emission, carbon neutral operations.
Within the aforementioned context, the main objective of this webinar is to update the discussion on port advancements in the Balkan and Black Sea region, addressing specifically latest business developments and ongoing efforts on environmental sustainability planning.
The webinar is open and would like to welcome the participation of a wide range of regional stakeholders, interested in or involved with port operations and trade development facilitation.
This is the second of a series of follow-up webinars that build on the results of the Regional Stakeholders Conference “Black Sea Synergy: the way forward” (Athens, 8 November 2019). The first follow-up Webinar on “Transport in the Balkans and the Black Sea region” was held on 19 November 2020, addressing the sector as a whole.
More thematic webinars addressing complementary aspects of the sector (i.e. intermodality) are expected to follow.
The event is organised jointly by the International Centre for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS), the Balkan and Black Sea Commission (BBSC) of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR), and the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (HIT CERTH).
Draft Agenda:
Moderator: Mr. Lefteris SDOUKOPOULOS, Associate Researcher at Hellenic Institute of Transport
Opening: Supporting policies
Mr Iain SHEPHERD, Senior Expert - Maritime Policy - Blue Growth, Data and Innovation, Maritime innovation, Marine Knowledge and Investment, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), European Commission
Session 1: Business developments
- Dr Sotirios THEOFANIS, President of EXANTAS Institute, Board Member of Thessaloniki Port Authority (Greece)
- Mr George MAMULADZE, PhD candidate, 2nd Officer, Invited Lecturer of Batumi State Maritime Academy (Georgia)
- Professor Ph.D. Kalin KALINOV, Deputy Chief of Naval Academy, and Mr Evgeni MOSKOV, Marine Cluster Bulgaria expert on Ports’ activities
- Presentation of Atlantic Smart Ports Blue Acceleration Network (AspBAN) project, by Mr Stavros KALOGNOMOS, Executive Secretary of the Balkan and Black Sea Commission (BBSC), Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR)
Questions & Answers
Session 2: Environmental sustainability planning
- Mr Valentin MOLDOVEANU, Tulcea County Councillor (Romania), Acting President of the Balkan and Black Sea Commission (BBSC), Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR)
- Associate Professor Mrs Irine BARAMIDZE, Batumi State Maritime Academy (Georgia)
- “A snapshot of European ports greening and sustainability efforts” by Associate Professor Rosa Maria DARBRA ROMAN, Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Spain)
Questions & Answers
Open discussion
