To promote the efforts made by different European ports to enhance the city port relations through innovative projects, ESPO decided in 2009 to give out an annual ESPO award on Social Integration of Ports. After the two first editions, it was decided to focus each year on one different aspect of social integration.
The themes addressed so far are: Creative Strategies to Communicate the Port to the Wider Public (2011), Youth (2012), Heritage (2013), Innovative Environmental Projects (2014), Relationship with Schools and Universities (2015), Nature in Ports (2016), Art and Cultural involvement of the port (2017) and Ports as a good work environment for everyone (2018).
The 2019 theme was “Transparency and the role of social media in reaching out to the local community”.
Port of Dover was awarded the ESPO Award 2019 in recognition of its successful strategy to reach out to the local community and to directly communicate with the port citizens. Using social media as a new way of communicating and demonstrating a high level of transparency about operational achievements, future strategies and environmental challenges and performance is becoming increasingly important for European ports who can only function and further develop if they receive the licence to operate from the local citizens.
The ESPO Award was handed out by the Director-General of DG Move Henrik Hololei, during a ceremony at the “Albert Hall” in Brussels.
Every year, the winner is selected by an independent jury of international experts. The 2019 judges were: Dimitrios Theologitis (chairman), Nico Croes, Knut Fleckenstein, Marta Moretti, Markku Mylly, José Sanchez and David Whitehead.
More than 180 port projects have been submitted to compete for the ESPO Award on social integration of ports since its establishment in 2009.
To consult the pictures and the submitted projects of the previous editions, click here.
WINNERS OF THE ESPO AWARD
