Press release of Ports of the Generalitat of Catalonia | 14/10/2021
Catalonia promotes entrepreneurship, innovation, Technology and sustainability through the European project Psamides
Within the framework of the Barcelona International Boat Show, the public company Ports de la Generalitat, one of the partners in the European project Psamides, has organized a day for small and medium-sized European companies to present innovative projects that can then be implemented in small and medium-sized European ports. The aim is to spread innovation, technology and environmental sustainability in the hands of entrepreneurship so that it can be applied to ports.
Seven Catalan, French and Portuguese companies have presented technological innovation projects such as a seabed monitoring application to see the state of port infrastructure, a new system of marine habitats to safeguard the fauna in the port water, new intelligent service supply turret systems, floating breakwaters, port activity monitoring systems through smart image analysis, etc.
The event was attended by the Director General of Foreign Action, Muntsa Vilalta, the Secretary General of the Euroregion Pyrenees-Mediterranean, Xavier Bernard-Sans, and the Director General of Ports of the Generalitat, Pere Vila, among other directors and officers.
In line with this project, the Ports Plan aims to implement an organized and active innovation model that allows it to be constantly and systematically innovative, encourages the growth of leading companies, contributes to new strategies in sustainable mobility and adaptation and climate change mitigation, in a context of climate emergency. The integrated management of port activities in all Catalan ports and the synergy between ports and the territory are thus to be promoted as an opportunity for social and territorial benefit.
Psamides
The European project Psamides aims to optimize the operation of small and medium-sized ports through the implementation of innovative tools that help manage tourist flows, better control costs, provide more services to users and stimulate eco-innovation of these ports reducing the environmental externalities derived from the tourist activity. Psamides has a budget of 2.8 million euros, 85% of which is funded by the Interreg-MED program of the European Union. The project began in January 2020 and ends in June 2022.
Small and medium-sized ports, with their nautical sports areas, large lengths, cruise activity and related tourism industries, are a key factor in competitiveness in the MED (Mediterranean) area. An important part of the tourism in the MED area is channeled through these ports and is concentrated in the coastal areas. These ports must play a key role in articulating coastal and maritime tourism, connecting the hinterland and communities.
Among the objectives of the project is to create a blue growth community of small and medium-sized ports, adopting a transnational approach to ensure that these ports can create an integrated business ecosystem that supports innovation and allows to overcome the limitation of funds and current staff, so that these ports can identify which are the most effective solutions in each case. Also, improve the governance of blue growth, creating an effective multilevel tool and methodology to capitalize on management experiences, which could be replicated in hundreds of MED area ports.
The project includes ten partners: Ports of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Ports Illes Balears, Port de Sète, Port of Candia (Heraklion), Pôle Mer Med, Athena R&I Center, IMT Montenegro, the University of Rijeka, SAS Noveltis and the EPM (Euroregion Pyrenees-Mediterranean), of which the Generalitat de Catalunya is a founding member, with the government of the Balearic Islands and the Region of Occitanie (France).
Open / Download:
Nota de premsa Ports de la Generalitat de Catalunya (pdf) CAT
Communiqué de presse Ports de la Generalitat de Catalunya (pdf) FR
Press release Ports Generalitat de Catalunya (pdf) (EN)
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