EUSAIR - Final Report

It is essential how to bring large quantities of goods
to the destination as quickly and cheaply as possible.
From the history of the Port of Koper, it can be seen that
throughput in Koper increased exponentially after 1967,
when the current track was built. Examples from abroad
also show how other ports are developing in parallel with
the development of the railway network. Trieste and Rijeka
are also aware of this and are investing in the railway
connection of ports with the hinterland. At the moment,
the Port of Koper has primacy among the northern Adriatic
ports – and by building the second railway track to the
port, we will maintain this primacy.
What do you expect from the Port of Koper from
the long-awaited construction of the second track
of the railway connection?
The Port of Koper depends on reliable and fast transport
connections with the hinterland, so an additional railway
connection is even more necessary. If there were no second
track and when the current line, which is obsolete and
unsuitable for today’s needs, reaches its maximum capacity,
cargo would accumulate in the port. Large customers providing
large quantities of cargo would divert this elsewhere.
The Port of Koper would thus lose its competitive advantage
and transhipment would stagnate in the long run.
Unfortunately, the speed, knowledge and flexibility of the
wider port team is not enough for the cargo to reach its
destination quickly and reliably, so we want the second
track to be built on time, since our strategic plan is tied
to this. We must be aware that competing ports will not
stand still forever, which is already evident in their extensive
investment in the development and construction of
road and rail connections.
You are a member of NAPA (North Adriatic Ports
Association). What are the synergies of such connections
between competing ports from different
countries?
The association strives to increase the visibility of the
northern Adriatic in overseas markets. We try to achieve
this by cooperating in the fields of promotion, lobbying,
security, protection and the environment and, of course,
European projects. Together, we also find it easier to
represent common interests and assert the importance
of our ports at the highest level of communication with
the EU institutions. A great joint success, for example,
is the Brussels decision to recognize the ports of the
northern Adriatic as EU nuclear ports.
We thus connect the northern Adriatic to a recognizable
port system that rivals and competes with northern
European ports. As the shortest, fastest and cheapest
connection between the Middle and Far East and Central
and Eastern European markets, the northern Adriatic
is a competitive destination only if the port system is
reliable as a whole.
You have a special portal for sustainable content
and projects. What are your plans in the field of
sustainable connections and what opportunities
does the European Commission’s Green Deal present
for the Port of Koper?
At the beginning of this year, we adopted the Strategy
of Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility
of the Port of Koper, in which we gathered our activities
and goals in the field of care for employees, our customers,
the natural environment and the wider local
community. We want to maintain a balance between
economic demand and environmental responsibility and
social engagement. We understand this and do it more
broadly than required by law, so to a large extent and
in many areas, we are already successfully addressing
the fundamental goals of the Green Deal. We procure
environmentally friendly machines, eliminate or reduce
port impacts on the environment from the outset, handle
natural resources carefully and invest in the use of
renewable energy sources, reduce the carbon footprint
and improve energy efficiency, monitor the marine ecosystem
and much more. At the same time, we must not
forget the symbol of our ecological orientation, olive oil,
which we produce every year from olives growing in the
port area. There are already almost 300 of these trees.
Our business partners are also investing more and
more in green logistics, so they appreciate our commitment
to remain a green port.
What role will digitalisation play in connecting
the region?
In the field of digitalisation and digital transformation,
the Port of Koper will work in the direction dictated by
industry trends: the introduction of automated work
processes and an expansion of the use of new technologies
such as the Internet of Things and blockchain.
Speaking of ports in the region, digitalisation will speed
up the process of building a single customs entry window,
which will be a great benefit for both shipowners
and port operators.
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