#2015ESPOaward - Dublin Port has been awarded the 2015 ESPO Award on Societal Integration of Ports in recognition of its strategies in making schools and universities aware of their local port and its activities. The award was presented last night at a ceremony held in Brussels.

In 2009 the award was established to promote innovative projects of port authorities that improve societal integration of ports, especially with the city and wider community in which they are located.

The theme of this year’s ESPO Award was Engagement with local schools and universities. Dublin Port Company won the 2015 Award for its project, Port Communities Educational Support Programme, which helps increase employment options within the disadvantaged communities that provided the port’s workforce in the past.

The programme includes Early Learning Initiatives, Technology in schools, Scholarships Programme and support to sport teams. The educational programme is a response to when port communities in Dublin have been impoverished by the great reduction in employment opportunities caused by the industrialisation of cargo handling beginning in the 1960’s with the growth of unitised freight.

Eamonn O'Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company said "We are delighted in Dublin Port to have our efforts engaging with local schools and universities recognised by ESPO. The ESPO Award is a prestigious recognition by our peers in the port industry across Europe of our efforts in Dublin to achieve a greater unity between the port, the city and local communities through the medium of education. I have always been impressed by the quality and the number of submissions for the ESPO awards and for Dublin to be recognised this year is a tremendous endorsement."

The Chief Executive added "It is also a great motivator for us to continue to work more generally to achieve the objectives of ESPO's Code of Practice on Societal Integration of Ports.To win the ESPO Award 2015 is very much a case of primus inter pares."

#ESPOawards - The ESPO Award on Societal Integration of Ports this year is entering its sixth edition.

For the 2014 competition, the theme 'Innovative environmental projects' was chosen. The call for proposals is now open.

ESPO will be addressing innovative port projects that lead to environmental improvement for the benefit of the wider port and local community.

Reducing the environmental impact of port operations and improving the local environmental conditions for the people working and living around the port are key success factors for the societal integration of ports.

In fact, ports grant and maintain their license to operate and to grow from their local communities.

Therefore, through the award, ESPO hopes to identify and promote innovative projects set up by ports that address the typical port-city concerns in the environmental field such as local air pollution, water pollution, noise, dust, odours.

"We warmly encourage our members to participate in this year's competition", says ESPO Secretary General Isabelle Ryckbost, "Potential winners this year are those port authorities that go beyond what is requested from them in terms of environmental management.

We are looking for ports which take innovative actions to improve literally the local environment and succeed as such to respond to the concerns of their local community.

As usual, all projects submitted will be promoted, so every participant is to some extent a winner ".
The award was established in 2009 to promote innovative projects of port authorities that improve societal integration of ports, especially with the city or wider community in which they are located.

In this way, the award wants to stimulate the sustainable development of European ports and their cities. The previous winners were: the Port of Gijón (2009), the Port of Helsinki (2010), the Ports of Stockholm (2011), the Port of Genoa (2012) and the Port of Antwerp (2013).

The call for proposals is open. Project submissions must be received by the ESPO secretariat by 1 July at the latest.

The sixth ESPO Award will be officially handed out during ESPO's Award Ceremony and Port Night taking place on 4 November in Brussels.