INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AT THE PORT OF OOSTENDE: from

Patch to DUAL Ports (2010 –2016)

Exchange of experience in the North SEA, North West Europe and the

CHANNEL area

•1. Crossborder cooperation

- C2C

- PATCH

- PAC2

•2 Transnational cooperation

- BEPPO

- LOPINOD

- Foodport

- SAIL

- LEANWIND

•3. Future cross border and transnational cooperation

International cooperation : rationale

for developing Small & Medium Sized Entrepreneurial Ports (SMEPs) & their

regional economies in an international context

• Ports attract logistics, blue industry and leisure activities

• Ports are gateways for EU/ international trade

• Ports connect people, products, businesses, clusters, countries

• Ports gather maritime and engineering knowledge and skills

• Ports gather diverse important economic functions which go far beyond logistics, like

energy production and supply, blue industry, safe handling of chemicals,

but

• Volatile market & financial crisis, including insufficient growth

• Traffic and pollution

• Emerging industries (offshore renewables), needing a lot of support

• Pressure of short term thinking and real estate pressure

• No recognition of the role of SME ports within the EU regulations (except DG Mare/Interreg)

hence…

• NEED TO UPGRADE

• - PORT OPERATIONAL & INFRASTRUCTURAL CONNECTIVITY, and

• - ECONOMIC & INNOVATIVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, VALORISING MARITIME

COMPETENCES AND KNOW-HOW

1. Cross border cooperation (Interreg 2 Seas)

1. 1. ProjectC2C (Connect to Compete),

Involving SEEDA, ports of Ramsgate, Dover and Portsmouth

• Cross-border Port & Freight Transport Infrastructure Investment Framework

and Logistics Study

• Modal shift (rail & longer distance shipping) for ports with a national

economic function

• Improving multi-modal connectivity and boosting competitiveness for ports

with a regional economic function

1.2. PATCH (Ports Adapting To Change),

Involving Ports of Newhaven, Portsmouth and Ramsgate

• Strategic planning

• Port management

• Port diversification of activities

• Infrastructure adaptation to serve new industries (e.g. offshore renewable energy)

• Technological innovation & energy efficiency

PAC2 is a cluster initiative, funded under the INTERREG IV A 2 Mers Seas Zeeën Cross-

border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013, which brings together nine partners from

Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the UK.

THE PAC2 CLUSTER: valorising the logistic and innovative skills at Small and

Medium-sized Entrepreneurial Ports (SME-ports)

2. Transnational cooperation (Interreg NORTH SEA )

• 2.1. BEPPO: Blue Energy production in Ports,

- Involving Highlands and Islands Enterprise (EMEC)

- focus: the role of SME ports in the development of wave and tidal Energy

production

• 2.2. LOPINOD: Logistic Optimisation for Ports intermodality

- Involving SESTRAN, Peel ports, port of Ramsgate and Kilbride

- Developing new maritime functions, intermodality and strengthening the link

with the regional economy

- SEANERGY

• 2.3. FOODPORT

- Involving SESTRAN and HITRANS

- Developing sustainable and smart transport links for food logistics

• 2.4. SAIL : Blue Energy production in Ports

- Involving University of Plymouth

- focus: the role of SME ports in the development of hybrid shipping

- 2.5. Intrade: NWE

- development of a prototype of an AIV , including test-demo's in port areas

• 2.5. LEANWIND FP7

- Involving University of Edinburgh, Hull and Portsmouth

- Developing the efficiency and provide cost reductions in offshore wind

energy production

3. WHAT IS NEXT?

CHALLENGES & ISSUES FOR SMALL & MEDIUM SIZED ENTREPRENEURIAL PORTS

•How to address new policy constraints (e.g. new EU/national regulations,

a.o. SECA)

• How to tackle the socio-economic impact of crisis in coastal areas

especially around ports?

• How to modernise and optimise outdated infrastructure through

technological innovation?

•What type of (technological) innovation to introduce in ports?

•How to move towards a low-carbon economy?

•How to help ports work effectively with as a hub for blue industry?

• How to assist ports in becoming more resource efficient?

• How to valorise the maritime knowledge in ports

• How to build competence-centres and industrial clusters in and

with ports

• How to find sufficient finances in order to assist the ports and

port authorities of a SME ports in developing more value added

activities

• How to find interaction and joint cooperation with knowledge

institutions, with respect for the core activities of the SME ports?

Future cross border and transnational cooperation:

SMALL & MEDIUM SIZED ENTREPRENURIAL PORTS

AS HUBS FOR SMART GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE CONNECTIVITY

•LOW CARBON ECONOMY

•INNOVATION

•RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

•CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

•REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Thank you very much for your attention

More information:

Wim Stubbe – AGHO

Mobile: + 32 487 548 768

Mail: wim.stubbe@portofoostende.be