3 innovative tools unveiled at the Citizen Port Meeting in Bilbao

The 6th Port Citizen workshop, held on 24 and 25 October 2019 in collaboration with the Bilbao Port Authority (Spain), was attended by over 50 people from ten different countries. Some of the participants run existing Port Centers, while others are looking at the possibility of opening new Port Centers in their cities. The event was an opportunity for all to share their experiences and practices.

3 practical tools presented during the workshop

The various contributions proposed by AIVP highlighted the useful tools that can be developed by Port Centers for the benefit of the city-port-public community:

Civic Tech: using technology to improve citizen participation.
Living Lab: innovation and research hub designed to identify business needs and move towards a Ports 4.0 model.
Virtual Port Center: an educational website about the port’s roles and activities which includes all 10 missions of the Charter of a Port Center, but without physical place.

To find out more about these tools, contact us!

Port Center funding, a frequently asked question

Although not officially part of the agenda, the issues of the costs and investment involved in creating and running a Port Center were discussed at length.

One inspiring example is the Bilbao Port Center. Inaugurated in March 2018, the Port Center is situated inside the Maritime Museum itself, occupying the entire second floor of the building, around 418 m2.

The Port Center places the spotlight on new technologies and fun activities, while explaining the realities of ports today. Costing 400,000 euros, the new exhibition complements the existing content of the maritime museum and has been designed with an intuitive layout, allowing the visitor to explore it on its own.

Making the Port Center a part of the museum has helped to save costs. In addition, the Center has universal educational resources for all audiences, so no guide is required. The case of Bilbao is also an example of stakeholder engagement, since many companies of the port community expressed their support in a multi-annual sponsorship agreement.