Under the theme “Nature restoration projects in ports benefiting the local community”, the ESPO Award 2023 will go to the port managing body which has developed innovative ways to develop these new roles and combine port development with successfully protecting and restoring nature in and around the port area to the benefit of the citizens and local community.
The winning project will be a project which can clearly demonstrate how nature protection and restoration efforts can be successfully combined with port development projects. Shortlisted for this year’s Award are the projects of Port of Cartagena (Spain), Guadeloupe Port Caraïbes (France), North Sea Port (Belgium- Netherlands) - and Living Ports project in the Port of Vigo (Spain).
The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) writes about their considerations and appreciation for Living Ports:
The shortlisted LIVING PORTS project in the Port of Vigo stands at the forefront of blending green infrastructure with the sustainable evolution of seaports and coastal areas by contributing to their restoration and resilience, as well as introducing innovative technology that is cost-effective, scalable and applicable to the traditional concrete maritime coastal infrastructure industry. This project has demonstrated the ability of the ECOncrete technology to integrate into living places, enhancing biodiversity by supporting a rich and abundant marine life that will help to significantly reduce noise and carbon footprint. Winning this award will give greater visibility to this project and will allow us to set an example to other seaports as we move towards Blue Growth.
The ESPO award ceremony will be celebrated together with the 30th anniversary of ESPO on November 7th in Brussels (Belgium).
Learn more about the nomination and an in depth interview with the Port of Vigo about the Living Ports project: https://www.espo.be/news/espo-award-2023-let-us-present-th