This year, the 7th ESPO Award on Societal Integration of Ports will address projects that seek to constructively engage local schools and universities with the work of the port for the benefit of the wider community.
If you have a project or developed a strategy that involves local academic institutions in raising awareness of your port, Â then you could be in line for the ESPO Award and have the chance to make your project known internationally.
The theme for the 2015 ESPO Award is Relationship with Schools and Universities.
The Award will be presented to the port that demonstrates the best strategies in making schools and universities aware of their local port and its activities. The winning project will be one that succeeds in creating the interest of the local schools and universities in the work of the port and stimulate these institutions to work and/ or do research on subjects of interest to ports. In doing so, make young people knowledgeable of the port industry and excites them about entering into a career in the port at all levels, which will, lead to a better understanding of the port within its community.
The ESPO Award was established in 2009 to promote innovative projects of port authorities that improve societal integration of ports, especially with the city or wider community in which they are located. In this way, the Award aims to stimulate the sustainable development of European ports and their cities.
Project submissions have to reach the ESPO secretariat by 1 July 2015 at the latest.
The 7th ESPO Award will be officially handed out during an Award Ceremony and Port Night, which will take place on 10 November 2015 at the Albert Hall in Brussels.
Previous winners of the Award are the Port of Gijón (2009), the Port of Helsinki (2010), the Ports of Stockholm(2011), the Port of Genoa (2012), the Port of Antwerp (2013) and the Port of Koper (2014).
The terms of reference and application form can be found here.
