More and more port cities are establishing new dialogues to engage local citizens in port development plans. In Germany, the port of Hamburg launched the Hafen2040 dialogue, asking the citizens how they imagine the future of the port, its evolution, and the interrelation with other key issues. In Venice, Italy, the port authority has adopted a new participatory process for the three-year operational plan. Citizens and stakeholders can give their feedback on the strategic choices until the 5th of November. In Saint John, Canada, the port authority has also launched a new online questionnaire to get the feedback from the citizens for strategic planning and the sustainability reporting. Citizen’s engagement is increasingly a common procedure in port and waterfront planning, heading in the right direction for a renewed governance as indicate in the AIVP Agenda 2030.

Ports 4.0, the innovation fund from Puertos del Estado from Spain, has launched the second call for Ideas and Commercial Projects with 6.75 million€. The deadline for ideas is December 21st, 2021, and commercial projects can be submitted until January 21st 2022. At the same time, the municipality of Barcelona has announced an investment plan for the development of blue economy of 40,5 mill. € to be implemented between 2021 and 2025. In the Nordic countries, port cities are also becoming innovation centers. In Oslo, Norway, the OsloMet Oceanlab opened its doors in Filipstad, to test new technology for the oceans. In Riga, Latvia, the port has also become a testing ground for new environmental and infrastructural monitoring and maintenance solutions. One company is testing underwater drone technology to collect data of the infrastructure while a second one is testing a solution for non-invasive soil cleaning method. Blue economy and innovation ecosystems will be one of the key topics of the next AIVP Port & City Days in Brussels.

A huge development programme is being launched for “Le Petit Maroc”, a site located where the Loire estuary meets the Atlantic Ocean. Plans have been announced for four major operations: student accommodation, a new “nautical island” which will house maritime economic and leisure activities, a new port cluster which the Port of Nantes is keen to develop in the outer port in cooperation with the City, and the redevelopment of all public spaces.

The port of Alicante is set to renovate the public spaces at docks 1 and 2, which is one of the promenade areas already most popular with the local population. Some 1.8 million euros will be spent on creating a pavement made from local granite, along with other light installations. With the work already begun last summer at docks 4, 6, and 8, almost the entire public port space is set to be redeveloped. The move is part of the port’s strategic objective to integrate itself into the city, and open up the maritime spaces to citizens.

Last weekend the ports of Bilbao (Spain) and Viana do Castelo (Portugal), invited local inhabitants to discover their ports. In Viana, the citizens got to know the innovative companies that are developing blue energy solutions and enjoy a cultural program. In Bilbao, the port authority celebrated the “Kai Jai, or Port Day”, in the cruise terminal of Getxo. Among the different activities were games, exhibitions, simulators or stevedores’ workshops. In Italy, the port authority of the North Tyrrhenian ports, including Livorno, is launching the 15th edition of the “Porto Aperto – Open Port” program, from October 2021 until May 2022. The new edition is adapted the pandemic conditions, with the Port Center as main reference point, complemented by port visits, multimedia and TV content. Some of the highlights will be visits to Livorno’s reconverted grain silo and Historic Boats Exhibition. All activities are free of charge.