On 27 June 2025, the online workshop “Is the Future of Port Systems Still Green? Balancing Decarbonisation, Competitiveness and Skills in the Adriatic‑Ionian Macroregion” took place, organized by the Central European Initiative as part of EUSAIR Green Ports.
After an overview of the initiative and opening remarks, the workshop opened with a concise analysis of the Adriatic‑Ionian port context, highlighting the impact of new European and global regulatory frameworks—from the Clean Industrial Deal to the Net‑Zero Industry Act and IMO regulations—and outlining the main challenges toward climate neutrality.
Next, a comprehensive review of green‑transition strategies for ports was presented, with a focus on best practices in energy efficiency and the deployment of distributed generation technologies for cold ironing.
The Port Energy Transition Masterplan, drafted by Circle, then mapped out a roadmap for adopting alternative fuels and renewable energy sources in ports, defining milestones and monitoring criteria.
The session concluded by sharing the recommendations of the EUSAIR “Green and Smart Ports Paper,” which underlined once again the importance of macro‑regional collaboration to develop collective training programs that equip port communities with the specialized skills required for the green transition.
