The OPTIMED initiatives were presented during the International Logistics and Material Handling Exhibition in Barcelona.

The partners of the OPTIMED project met on June 11^th in Barcelona in order to discuss the progress of the project. The meeting has been organized in parallel to the International Logistics and Material Handling Exhibition (SIL 2015), one of the most important events of the Transport and Logistics sector in the Mediterranean. In the framework of the event, ASCAME, partner of OPTIMED, organized the 12^th Mediterranean Transport and Logistic Forum and the 8^th Mediterranean Port Summit during which partners of OPTIMED presented the project. In the SIL, the project partners ASCAME and Autonomous Region of Sardinia organised a stand dedicated to the OPTIMED project, where it has been possible to present the project’s activities to the visitors of the Exhibition SIL.

As leader of the work package regarding meetings between economic operators within OPTIMED, ASCAME, with the support of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon (CCIABML), another partner of OPTIMED,  has also organized during the SIL, the Med Logistics & Transport Roadshow, where took place B2B meetings between transport and logistics

operators from Spain and Lebanon. On the occasion of this roadshow, the OPTIMED Project was presented to the participants (institutions and transport and logistics companies) in order to foster the pioneering initiative of the virtual logistics platform aiming at improving shipping trade – in timing and freight costs – within the Mediterranean basin and especially between Lebanon, Italy, Spain and France.

On June 12^th, the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (RAS); the University of Cagliari (CIREM); the Chamber of Commerce of Beirut and Mount-Lebanon (CCIABML); the European Short Sea Shipping School (2E3S); the Port Authority of North Sardinia and the Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME), discussed the progress of the OPTIMED project that was launched in Cagliari on the 9^th of June of 2014.

The meeting was also attended by the Hellenic Institute of Transport and the Fundación Valencia Port, involved in the project as the CCIABML web platform development sub-contractors, to inform about the implementation of the virtual logistics platform.

Mr Salvatore D’Alfonso, Senior Project Manager Transport and Logistics at the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), also participated in this meeting in order to show the support of the UfM to the OPTIMED initiative which, according to him, fits perfectly with the idea of enlarging the trade in the Mediterranean.

During the meeting, CIREM introduced the progress of the design of the new hub-based network system and one of the new hub-based port facilities, whose objective is to enhance commercial connections between the Mediterranean public and private operators in maritime transport and logistics sector. The CCIABML, along with the CCIABML web platform sub-contractors, have introduced the progress of the design and test of information system for the virtual logistics platform. On the other hand, 2E3S has presented with the CCIABML, the results of the first edition of the training on Short Sea Shipping, Motorways of the Sea and e-freight. In the afternoon, it has been discussed the possible signature of an MoU between OPTIMED and the “Short Sea Shipping Euro-Mediterranean Network”. Afterwards, ASCAME, has presented the outcomes of the “Business to Business” meetings between Lebanese and Spanish companies that were organized on June 9^th and 10^th in the framework of the 17^th International Logistics and Material Handling Exhibition in the Fira of Barcelona. The day ended up with a discussion led by the Sardinia Region and CIREM, about the administrative and financial issues related to the project as well as the progress of the first interim report.

At the occasion of her visit in Barcelona, the General Director of Transport of the Sardinia Region, Ms Gabriella Massidda along with the Technical Coordinator of the project, Mr Paolo Fadda and the director of the 2E3S, Mr Eduard Rodés, met for the second time, on June 11^th, the General Director of Transport and Mobility of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Mr Pere Padrosa, in order to give updates about the progress of the OPTIMED Project and to speak about ways of furthering collaboration in the maritime transport sector.

With a total budget of €1,999,403.13, OPTIMED is a project funded under the multilateral cross border cooperation Programme ENPI CBC MED, implementing the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) in the Mediterranean basin. It aims at reinforcing cooperation between the European Union (EU) and partner countries regions placed along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

OPTIMED aims at promoting new opportunities, facilities, tools and skills in order to improve the commercial connections and relationships between public and private operators in maritime transport and logistics sector from Southern – Eastern to Northern – Western ports of the Mediterranean Sea. The project will identify and spread the opportunities of the new maritime trade network and the potentialities of a supporting tool like the virtual logistics platform among economic operators from EU and Mediterranean Partner Countries.