Blue economy: this is how cities and ports collaborate towards sustainable growth

Cities and ports, a key alliance for the blue economy

Several cities are positioning themselves to become the epicenter of the blue economy with an essential ally: ports. The City Council and the Port of Barcelona, for example, have signed a collaboration agreement to develop a blue economy hub that covers the entire Barcelona coastline. The sectors associated with the blue economy currently generate 15,000 jobs (1.4% of the whole employment), 3.75 billion euros in annual turnover and represent 4.3% of its GDP.

“Barcelona has an excellent foundation due to its location. Its port is a benchmark in the Mediterranean sea and its scientific and entrepreneurial fabric are central to generating knowledge. If you add all these factors to a maritime industry already consolidated from the Port, there are opportunities for the city to establish its leadership on the blue economy,” says Ferrer.

For Marques, "the role of ports continues to evolve. Now they have the opportunity to become the physical interface where all the blue economy verticals can converge." His statement is in line with the European Commission’s statement on a new approach for a sustainable blue economy in the EU, published in May, which highlights that “beyond tranport and logistics, their future lies in developing their key role as energy hubs (for integrated electricity, hydrogen 12 and other renewable and low-carbon fuels systems), for the circular economy, for communication, and for industry.”

Blue Growth Vigo project, pioneer in Europe

European cities such as Genoa and Lisbon are also moving to take advantage of the growth opportunities the blue economy offers. In Spain, the Vigo Port Authority established the Blue Growth Vigo strategy, divided into two stages; 2016-2020 and 2021-2017, to channel initiatives framed within the sustainable marine economy.

Vigo's action plan is based on integrating the port and the companies and groups that operate in the port area with the city to generate a positive impact on the economy, employment and well-being of people and the environment.

Its added value, according to Carlos Botana, Head of the Sustainability Department of the Vigo Port Authority are the added factors that characterize the environment of Vigo and the municipalities of its estuary, which have traditionally lived from the exploitation of marine-coastal resources through the tourism, fishing, maritime transport and shellfish. The area also has, among others, a natural capital of high biological and landscape value and is strategically located in the Atlantic Corridor.

“All this allows us to have a high level of concentration of knowledge centers, represented by the Campus do Mar and research and technology centers, business organizations from the marine-coastal economic sectors, administrations with experience in territorial development and a civil society sensitized and involved in these challenges. This involvement and public-private cooperation are the key to success,” he says.

In the first stage, 38 projects were carried out and 44 actions were proposed. For the second, they have been expanded to 46, 25 of which are in execution. Initially, 14 working groups were established - one per key area - now reduced to 6.

“We knew that only if we were able to work with the same intensity in each of these key areas would we be able to generate a positive impact. On the other hand, we would like to highlight the impact indicators used to measure these strategies, based both on the performance of the plan itself and on its ability to generate change,” he explains.

Botana shares a final thought on the role of ports in the context of the blue economy: "From the design of the plan, we knew that no port can be successful if it works in isolation." Vigo currently holds the presidency of the Blue Growth Group of the European Organization of Maritime Ports (ESPO) and is the recipient of the sustainability award granted by the International Association of Ports (IAPH) for the “Peiraos do Solpor” project, whose objective is to transform “gray” or degraded infrastructures of the port environment into green infrastructures.