The ports of Halifax (Canada), Hamburg (Germany), and Valencia (Spain) have unveiled plans to create a global network of port innovation hubs. The PIER in Halifax, homePort in Hamburg, and Opentop in Valencia are established innovation hubs that are already playing a very active role in their respective environments. The aim is to develop a global innovation alliance and enable port ecosystems around the world to share their best practices and methods. The network should be up and running within the next few months.

The Port of Trois-Rivières (Canada) and IDÉ Trois-Rivières are reiterating their commitment to make Trois-Rivières a recognised sustainable and innovative port of call on the St. Lawrence. IDÉ Trois-Rivières is responsible for coordinating the reception of cruise passengers, while the Port of Trois-Rivières is in charge of maritime activities related to the cruise ship and now also for promotion. The objectives include creating a sustainable and responsible port of call, maximising local economic spin-offs, and promoting the culture of the Aboriginal nations. Also on the Saint Lawrence River, the Port of Québec has become an open innovation partner of MT Lab, an incubator-accelerator dedicated to tourism, culture and entertainment.

On Monday the 23rd of October 2023, the Port Authority, the Municipality, the Regional Government, and the neighbors signed the “Agreement for Valparaiso”. This landmark document has the consensus of all Chilean parties involved and contains commitments to promote the expansion of port activities within the framework of a new relationship between the port, the city and the region. The signature ceremony took place with the President of the Republic, Mr. Gabriel Boric, as main depositary of the document. This historic agreement counted with the support of a broad community of politicians, business and union leaders, navy and neighbors. The agreement is structured in 8 key points, recognizing the importance of the port, the preceding dialogue process and integration of strategic development plans of the city and the region. The documents also highlight the importance of the citizen’s wellbeing, the need of a broader and coherent bay plan and the main elements of the port expansion and waterfront redevelopment. AIVP is proud to have supported this long-term dialogue process and the establishment of the new Port Center that will be a key pillar for the future port-city relationship.

In the city of Le Port on the Indian Ocean island of Réunion (France), the first ever architectural complex to be developed on a brownfield site in the interface zone between the city and port has been officially opened, at a ceremony attended by the Mayor and local elected representatives. The site, named “l’Amiral”, is very close to the headquarters of the Réunion port authority and the western port waterfront, where the sugar terminals, marina, and fishing quays are located. Local politicians and port policymakers have wanted to restore public access to the waterfront and develop tertiary activities and residential buildings in the area for some years.  There are also plans for shops, restaurants, and a co-working space.

The green corridor concept emerged from COP26 in Glasgow. It is defined in the now famous Clydebank Declaration, in which the signatory countries undertake to develop zero-carbon shipping routes between them. Progress on this commitment has stepped up significantly in recent months. The ports of Oakland (USA) and Yokohama (Japan) have announced plans to create a green corridor, which could be particularly beneficial for bulk cereal traffic given Oakland’s role as a major food export hub. Meanwhile, the ports of Los Angeles (USA) and Guangzhou (China) have launched their own green corridor focused on the intensive use of digital technologies to optimize environmental performance.