Hilda Ghiara is Tenured Researcher and Professor in Maritime Traffic, Ports and Regional Economies at University of Genoa (Italy). She has been member of AIVP network of experts for almost 10 years. She attended on July 2, the AIVP webinar on Port Centers and provides a perspective that complements the webinar quite well.
Following the webinar on 18 June 2020 on the return of cruise activity in our post-covid port cities, Dr. Pedro Marín Cots, Director of the Urban Environment Observatory of the city of Málaga (Spain), gives his point of view on the subject. In his characteristic direct style, he clearly thinks that they cannot return, especially following the same economic and tourist model from before the Covid-19. He raises several questions regarding the actual adaptation capacity and emphasizes that the real challenge is climate change, that we should not get distracted from it. This is indeed an opportunity to accelerate the necessary changes towards new economic and cultural behaviours.
Created on January 1st , 2018, the port authority of North Sea Port manages the ports of Zeeland (The Netherlands) and Gent (Belgium). As a cross border authority, its duties were important against the Covid19 which was spreading from country to country. North Sea Port has tackled this challenge, keeping the link with the citizens and maintaining its sustainable development projects.
During the Covid19 pandemic, Port of Valparaíso has carried out several community support plans, in order to inform the population about health measures and to assist people in need. As one of Chile’s main ports, the Port of Valparaíso is preparing to play a key role in the economic recovery, being respectful of the sustainable development.
Considering the importance of ferry traffic in Helsinki, the port has been seriously impacted by the Covid19. Even though, some investments had to be postponed and events cancelled, the Port of Helsinki remains committed to a better Port City interaction. The priority has been keeping the citizens informed, and maintaining the strategical investments for sustainable development.
Mariupol is one of the main ports on Azov sea and Ukraine’s fourth biggest port. As it is facing the economic impact of the Covid19 crisis, the city is comitted to helping its economy to recover. But not in any way: cultural projects and sustainable development are core values in Mariupol’s development plans.
Located in the heart of the city itself, the Port of Trois-Rivières faces a daily challenge to balance its activities with the life of residents living next to the Port. But the Port sees this co-existence as a great opportunity to work hand in hand with the City, building a feeling of pride and belonging to a dynamic, attractive city.
Spain has been one of the most affected countries by the COVID 19 in Europe. The strict quarantine imposed by the government limited most economic activities and restricted the mobility of people. In the meantime, during the past weeks, ports have continue functioning as crucial infrastructure to reduce the effects of the pandemic. In this article, the president of Puertos del Estado explains the main economic, legal and security policies and actions taken to cope with the consequences of the COVID 19 crisis.
The Port of Trieste remains close to both adults and children, even if it is located in one of the most affected areas by the Covid-19. It has made significant efforts to protect employees, and has also set up online educational activities for children.
Peter de Langen, one of the AIVP experts, recently published the Book Towards a Better Port Industry with Routledge. We asked Peter to relate some of the insights from his book to the current state of turmoil in the global economy and specifically global value chains and ports.
