BUILDING SKILLS. CERTIFYING COMPETENCE.
Shaping the future of ports: Watch the BLUE PORTS video
Ports are changing. Are skills keeping pace? The BLUE PORTS video explores how professional competence and Certification can help drive the green transition of European ports.
Climate challenges, new technologies and growing sustainability demands are reshaping port operations—and the skills their people need. Through footage from ports and contributions from the people working in the sector, the video showcases the BLUE PORTS response to this challenge.
Coordinated by the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Laboratory (ReSEL) of the Technical University of Crete, BLUE PORTS has developed a Personnel Certification Scheme in accordance with ISO/IEC 17024, covering two complementary professional profiles: Port Sustainability Officer and Port Sustainability Operator.
The video traces the Scheme’s collaborative development, highlighting the contribution of port stakeholders and National Technical Committees in Greece, Italy, Spain and Georgia. Footage from consortium meetings, stakeholder consultations, exhibitions and conferences illustrate the collaboration behind the BLUE PORTS Certification Scheme and the project’s engagement with the wider port and maritime community.
Contributions from port representatives, training participants and certified professionals explain why these skills matter in practice. Their experiences illustrate the value of professional recognition, workforce development and cooperation in turning sustainability goals into action.
With 105 professionals already certified across four countries, BLUE PORTS demonstrates the results of this shared effort. Following the completion of the pilot training programme, the Certification Scheme remains available beyond the project’s lifetime, enabling more port professionals to develop the skills needed for sustainable port operations. By strengthening professional competence and supporting better environmental practices, it can help ports advance their green transition while contributing to healthier, more sustainable coastal communities.
Watch the video and meet the people helping shape the ports of the future.
Acknowledgements
The BLUE PORTS team warmly thanks the port representatives, National Technical Committee members, training participants and certified professionals who contributed their voices and experiences to the video.
Special thanks go to the port authorities of Batumi, Igoumenitsa, Heraklion, Kavala, Patra, Piraeus and Valencia for providing visual material for its production.