Barcelona, 15 December 2015 – The final conference of the OPTIMED project “Rationalising Mediterranean Seaways from Southern to Northern-Eastern-Western ports” will take place on 18th December in Barcelona. The meeting hosted by the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), will present the obtained results through the activities carried out in the two-year duration of the project.

The results achieved through the implementation of OPTIMED project, funded by the European cross-border cooperation ENPI CBC Med Programme, have led to important innovations to the concept of shipping goods in the Mediterranean basin and new business relationships based on the opportunities of the new optimised maritime trade network. The Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME), as the capitalization leader of the project, has actively participated in activities, such as the organization of business meetings among operators of the Euromediterranean area and the promotion of short sea shipping that have contributed to a more efficient transport and logistics model characterized by better delivery of freight and consequently by a greater competitiveness.

Specifically, the project activities have led to the new “hub & spoke” network for connecting the South-East and North-West coasts of the Mediterranean, as well as the design of two new hubs port (Beirut and Porto Torres) and the creation of a new virtual logistics platform.

The event will involve the delegates of the government institutions of the territories affected by the project, as well as experts and technicians of the institutional bodies involved, such as ASCAME, the UfM and the University of Cagliari. The attendees will analyse the future prospects of the field in order to ensure more efficient and sustainable trade relations between the two shores of the Mediterranean basin.