The Port of Lisbon (Portugal) has developed a program with the BlueTech Innovation program focused on testing solutions to challenges in the areas of waste and pollution management, maritime tourism safety management, communication for nautical tourism, and efficient bureaucracy. Fórum Oceano, the developers of this program, have highlighted the importance of fostering green and digital transformation in the Portuguese ecosystem. With BlueTech Innovation, they aim to implement pilot projects to respond to the real challenges of the sector, through collaborative innovation between various entities. The program is open to applications from startups situated in the European Union or in Norway and with a prototype ready to be tested by July 24, 2024.

The Port and City of Sept-Îles (Canada) have teamed up with the local Innu community to build a new terminal for cruise passengers. This permanent pavilion will welcome passengers year-round. Reception conditions will be more comfortable than in the current seasonal tent. The architecture of the pavilion will feature Innu culture, notably through a Shaputuan, a traditional outdoor tent. The CEO of the Port of Sept-Îles hailed this collaboration with the Innu community as a “gesture of reconciliation”. The pavilion is scheduled to open in spring 2025.

In Paris (France), the organization of the Olympic Games is an opportunity to improve the river passenger transport network. Similarly, by June 2025, river shuttles will be integrated into the public transport network of Lyon (France). For the time being, four stops are planned to be opened or redeveloped on the quays: du Commerce (9th arrondissement), Saint-Vincent (1st arrondissement), Saint-Antoine, and near the Confluence dock. In Paris, 39 of the 100 barges that will be sailing during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will be electrified. What’s more, a water cab service on the Seine will be tested during the Games. The aim is to halve the pollution footprint compared with the London and Rio Olympics.

On the Everett waterfront (USA), the port and city council have joined forces to host a maritime institute in a 6,000m² facility. This type of establishment already existed in California, but this is a first in Washington State. The aim is to offer training, career guidance, and port awareness courses. The stakes are high; since 60% of jobs in the county where Everett is located are linked to the maritime and port sector.