Greenport Alliances
🚢 On Friday, 11 April 2025, the “Captain on the Ship of the Future” competition brought together talented and enthusiastic high school students from Constanța County at the Maritime University of Constanța (UMC), Romania.
Now in its 7th edition, the event was expertly coordinated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eng. Anastasia Dușe, Head of the Navigation Department at UMC and member of the Greenport Alliances Erasmus Project.
The competition challenged students to demonstrate creativity, teamwork, and passion for maritime careers through hands-on activities such as:
🔹 Designing navigation routes using electronic and traditional charts
🔹 Steering virtual ships in state-of-the-art navigation simulators
🔹 Forming crews and planning successful missions
Participants had the opportunity to visit the most advanced maritime and technical simulation laboratories in South-Eastern Europe, interact with university professors and students, and take part in specialised contests organised by the university’s departments.
On this special occasion, the GREENPORT Alliances project was presented to the students, raising awareness about sustainable practices in maritime transport and port operations. Participants learned about green technologies, solutions for reducing emissions, and the importance of acquiring sustainability skills for their future maritime careers.
We thank all participants for their energy, curiosity, and enthusiasm! We are proud to see so much talent and interest in the next generation of maritime professionals.
#GreenPort
#MaritimeEducation
#Sustainability
#FutureSkills
#UMC
#MaritimeTransport
#cofundedbyEU
Greenport Alliances
Research Spotlight: Exploring Carbon Footprint
During the month of April, the research team from Constanta Maritime University took a significant step forward in advancing the objectives of the GreenPort project by organizing a dedicated seminar focused on the academic landscape of carbon footprint assessment.
Hosted at the university headquarter and led by project coordinator Dr. Nicoleta Acomi, the session brought together 20 researchers and academic staff in an intensive exploration of current scientific literature and methodological approaches to measuring and reducing carbon emissions in port operations.
One of the key highlights of the seminar was the hands-on use of ATLAS.ti, a qualitative data analysis software, to systematically review, code, and extract thematic patterns from peer-reviewed publications. This exercise enabled our team to identify prevailing trends, gaps in the literature, and best practices related to decarbonization in maritime logistics and port ecosystems.
💡 The seminar also served as a foundation for collaborative academic output, including review papers and strategy documents that will inform the courses to be developed within the GreenPort Alliances project in the upcoming period.
Stay tuned as we continue to explore, connect, and innovate for a greener maritime future. 🌍
#GreenPort #MaritimeSustainability #CarbonFootprint
The time has come for the GREENPORT project to translate its research into real-world change!
Based on these recommendations, three tailored learning streams are being launched:
Higher Education (HE) – A 4-ECTS academic course for maritime students, combining theory, simulator tasks, and digital tools to build skills in eco-navigation, fuel efficiency, and emissions tracking.
Vocational Education & Training (VET) – A practical 12-hour course for tug, pilot boat, and port service personnel, focused on energy-saving operations, emissions monitoring, and digital coordination.
Train-the-Trainer (TTT) – A 20-hour professional development program for maritime educators, equipping them to deliver sustainability-focused instruction using simulators, behavior modeling, and case-based teaching.
The Methodology Report will emphasize learning-by-doing, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge transfer through real port case studies. The use of simulators and performance feedback tools is central to fostering behavioral change—empowering participants to implement emission-reducing actions in their daily work.
Together, we are preparing the next generation of maritime professionals to operate more cleanly, efficiently, and collaboratively in the evolving green port ecosystem.
#GREENPORT #MaritimeEducation #Sustainability #GreenPorts #IMO #Decarbonisation #FitFor55 #MaritimeInnovation #SimulatorTraining #PortOperations
Project Kick off and Stakeholders Conference
As the coordinator for the GREENPORT Alliances project, Piri Reis University hosted the nine project partners from seven countries on February 28-29 2024. The kick off meeting which was held on the first day of the two days, covered the whole consortium meeting and discussed the work plan and the way forward for the duration of the project.
The Stakeholders Conference marked the project’s first milestone, and witnessed engagement from key stakeholders spanning the maritime industry and educational institutions alike. During the conference, each project partner presented their roles and responsibilities within the project, and the commitments that would be undertaken over the course of the 36 months of the project. . Representatives from the Turkish maritime sector such as Sanmar Shipyards, the Turkish Shipbuilders’ Association (GISBIR), Yanmar Holding, Sakura Marine, Kilyos Shipping, Kamer Marine, GDS Engineering, CSS Turkey, NAVTEK, Gübretaş Port, GISAŞ Port, and the Turkish Pilots Association actively participated in the conference. Insights into innovative strategies for reducing carbon emissions within the sector were shared through presentations delivered by representatives from Turkon Line and GISAŞ.
Project Update: Diving Deeper into Sustainable Shipping
Activities outlined in “Task 3.2 – Scientific Analysis” commenced in November 2024 (M10). These activities will span a total period of six months, concluding in April 2025. This task plays a pivotal role within the project as it focuses on developing alternative analyses and identifying case studies to demonstrate how the application of different operational methodologies can significantly impact harmful gas emissions. The planned activities are divided into three main phases, each characterized by specific objectives and a targeted operational approach.
The first phase, referred to as desk analysis, will take place between November 2024 and January 2025. This phase will involve the preliminary collection of relevant data and the structuring of case studies. Based on the review of available documents and sources, it represents the starting point for developing alternative operational scenarios. Subsequently, during the second phase, from February to mid-March 2025, the development of case studies will proceed. This activity will incorporate innovative analytical approaches, including targeted interviews with industry experts, to delve deeper into the identified methodologies. Finally, the third phase, from mid-March to April 2025,
will focus on integrating lessons learned. The goal will be to translate the outcomes from the previous phases into practical and concrete recommendations for designing specific training curricula.
The activities of Task 3.2 build upon the results of “Task 3.1 Cross-sectoral identification of best practices”, which identified 13 practices classified into three main clusters. Cluster 1, focused on emission reduction, addresses strategic aspects related to environmental sustainability. Cluster 2 emphasizes operational efficiency improvements, prioritizing technical and managerial aspects. Cluster 3 centers on engagement and professional development, highlighting educational and training dimensions.
These practices were selected through an in-depth analysis of scientific articles, institutional documents, and questionnaires, involving partners and industry operators such as pilots and tugboats. Specifically, the questionnaire survey generated 35 useful responses, which led to the addition of 4 new practices to the initial list, while retaining the original cluster classification.
An additional phase of work resulted in the ranking of 12 Best Practices, evaluated using 10 distinct parameters divided across five perspectives: environmental, economic, social, technical, and institutional. This multidimensional evaluation provided a solid foundation for designing training curricula, which will be further enriched by the outcomes of Task 3.2.
Task 3.2 represents a crucial milestone in the overall project trajectory, as it lays the groundwork for the subsequent Task 3.3, which will culminate in the preparation of an internal document containing targeted recommendations for training development. The integrated approach adopted in Work Package 3 stands out for its ability to ensure a systemic and multidimensional vision, actively involving experts and stakeholders. This method optimizes project outcomes and promotes an operational model oriented toward the sustainability of port operations.
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