APRILE 2023 PAG. 13 - Assoporti Presents a National Port System at the Munich Fair

 

Changes to inherited geo-economic models can open up new prospects for development of the Mediterranean port system. In particular for the Italian system where its geographical position places it in the centre of growing commercial traffic using the Suez Canal. The Italian body Assoporti which represents Italian ports is well aware of this and has chosen the Munich fair to present its project for the national port system.

Rodolfo Giampieri, president of Assoporti said and kindly answered our questions: “Apart from the presence at the fair of each regional port system each one illustrating its own specific port capacity, we have considered it important to launch a message on behalf of the whole system together with the agency ICT because Italy with all its ports is definitely ready to welcome this new opportunity offered by the market”.

What changes have taken place in the Italian Port System in recent years?

The growing importance of the Mediterranean in global trade is a fact.  Pandemic, the war in Ukraine and energy crises have contributed to modification of the logistics chain. Businesses wish to take back control of various phases of production from the past just-in-time system by holding stocks. These are processes which must be dealt with intelligently and must reduce the problems associated with them.  This means that our logistic support system can recover operating margins within the system of international competition.

What can Italian ports do in this new reality in the Mediterranean?

To some extent, we are ready for the challenge. Do not forget that Italian ship-owners in certain strategic sectors such as ro-ro and ro-pax are world leaders. A new extremely important market is opening in global competition and that is Africa. Proximity to our ports in Italy makes for interesting possibilities not only for Italy but also for the whole continent.

Will this lead to a new position with retro-port territory?

The matter must go ahead, together with knowledge of the importance of logistics for the Italian economy. Most of the national import-export uses the port in a complete system which has the ports in first position. It must be understood that we are not talking about one ship which arrives and leaves. Integration is needed with the retro port system, especially using rail as a means to reach destinations whereas road logically is the number one for closer markets. This becomes even more important when it is the difference between Italy and Northern Europe where there are national ports such as Antwerp, Hamburg or Rotterdam. Italy’s distribution is more spread out along its coast with big and small ports living together in the same system.

What are the elements that contribute to this process of renewal?

Above all modern computer systems will be a revolution which will advance other elements for realising potential improvements not only speed and more efficiency in operating phases but also requiring qualified workforce and the presence of young people and greater sex equality.

What are the Association’s priorities?

At European level, we need to work on explaining the importance of the change that is happening and to absorb the natural tensions that will arise. The objective is a model which up to now has almost always been modelled on developments in Northern Europe in favour of open equilibrium based more on the Mediterranean. In addition at national level, together with government we must develop reciprocal collaboration between the Italian ports to favour the development of the whole system, avoiding complications which are harmful to economic growth and which we are forced to accept.