On 16 October 2025, the Renewable and Sustainable
Energy Lab (ReSEL@TUC) proudly represented, upon invitation, the BLUE
PORTS project at the high-level workshop “Green and Smart Ports:
Shaping the Future of Green Transition and Skills Development in the
Adriatic-Ionian Region”, held in Trieste, Italy. The workshop was organised
by the Central European Initiative (CEI), in partnership with
the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, under the coordination of
the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) Pillar II –
Transport and Energy. High-level panellists included also representatives
from the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), the Italian Ports Association
(Assoporti), the Maritime Authority of Friuli Venezia Giulia, and other EUSAIR
Pillars (Pillar I- Blue Growth, Pillar V – Improved Social Cohesion).
The event brought together key stakeholders to discuss the advancement of green
and smart port transformation and the essential role of skills
development in driving the maritime sector’s sustainability and
digitalisation efforts. The discussions were incredibly fruitful, highlighting
the urgent need for transnational cooperation to bridge the green
skills gap in the Adriatic-Ionian maritime and port sector, and
emphasizing the cooperative actions between ports and
education/training institutions.
BLUE PORTS actively contributed to the dialogue by sharing its
experience in upskilling and certifying port professionals to lead the green
transition, and in following a bottom-up co-creation approach for
the development of a European-wide acknowledged certification scheme under ISO
17024. Barriers and success factors identified through the project’s work
were emphasized. Based on the successful collaboration with the port ecosystem
value chain, BLUE PORTS offered additional input and suggestions to strengthen
cooperation between the port sector, training providers, and regional
initiatives.
The participation reinforced the project’s commitment to fostering synergies,
capacity-building, and a skilled, certified workforce ready to shape the
sustainable future of European ports.
