This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is “Embrace equity” and several ports have prepared projects to enhance the visibility of this topic in the maritime sector. The Port System Authority of the Eastern Ligurian Sea (Italy) organized a conference titled “Stories of women who love the port” aiming to raise awareness and discussion about the contribution of women in port logistics, from dock operations to top roles of port companies. The ports of Talcahuano (Chile) are coloring their social media pages purple to celebrate the day and invite reflection on how to move forward to support gender equality in the workforce.

A remarkable innovation is to be launched at the port of Heraklion on the island of Crete (Greece), with the help of EU funding. Plans to restore and improve the revetment on the breakwater, which will be extended by an additional 280 metres, will see new quayside wave energy systems installed to generate green electricity. Combined with the recent deployment of shore power infrastructure at the cruise wharves in Heraklion, the development is further confirmation of the local commitment to addressing the energy transition, protection against climate events, and quality of life for residents.

The Port of Marseille (France) has been chosen by Carbon to be the location for its mega photovoltaic factory, which will produce all parts of the photovoltaic pannels. By 2025 it is expected to produce 5GW annually. This undertaking serves two purposes: to make France less dependent on international production and to create jobs. It is estimated that up to 3500 jobs will be generated, a lot of which will require specific training that can be found in the Marseille employment area.

Under the multi-year investment plan for the port of Montreal (Canada), more than CAD10M has been earmarked for measures to improve the port-city interface. The move is a response to the rapid expansion of Montreal’s container terminals, which are now in close proximity to the city’s east end. The aim is to mitigate the impact of port activities on the life of local residents, with projects including a 8.5 metre tall embankment that will provide a visual and noise screen between a residential neighbourhood and the container terminals, or large-scale tree-planting in a buffer zone.