La Spezia – «Infrastructures cost money. If the money isn’t there for Pontremolese, it’s because it was allocated elsewhere, different choices were made.” The Pontremolese is the big thorn in the side of the port of La Spezia. A “sore note”, says the president of the maritime agents association Giorgia Bucchioni, who agrees with what was recently reported by the regional councilor Giampedrone and the president of the Logistics section of Confindustria Avena. Not only. Bucchioni underlines that it is not the time for a port reform: it would slow down investments. And he hopes for a Sommariva encore, for the same reasons. Not only. Enel areas can become a second logistics hub with private investments. The sole director of Lardon & C, president of Cisita, receives us in the office overlooking the docks. The same as his father, the late president of the Port Authority Giorgio Bucchioni, who passed away in 2023 and who would have turned 78 in recent days.
What would your father say today about the port of La Spezia?
«Some situations would have worried him, even if he had the ability to go beyond the contingency. He would have made himself available to support investments to relaunch the airport, recalling everyone to a sense of belonging. The legacy he left.”
The global context is complex, how do we deal with it?
«There are wars and rapid changes, the problem linked to Suez is enormous. Not only because of the delays, but because the new routes will change the strategic nature of some ports and will have repercussions on the industry. All this forces us operators to move quickly. Logistics and ports are increasingly connected to industrial districts. We need a broad approach to the problem, with innovation, investments, agreement between public and private.”
Is the port community still the backbone of the port?
«These are the entrepreneurs who resist, the truth is that this is not a simple moment. Traffic recovered compared to last year, but in January 2023 we were at -43%. Now, however, the LSCT investments will take off, which are the main aspect, but there is also the cruise station and the divestment of the Enel areas, in addition to the reduction of emissions. We will have to change our skin, maintaining efficiency.”
CEO Gasselin’s reassurances on the imminent tender for the expansion of the Lsct terminal are an important signal, but there is an appeal for cohesion, what do you think?
«We have a date for the race, between May 20th and 30th, and this is comforting. In recent years the port has no longer been considered an integral part of the city. Gasselin is working well and there is trust, but the political forces must also row in the same direction. You don’t see a 350 million investment every day.”
For you too, as for Sommariva, should the port reform be postponed?
“Yes. It would slow down investments and works in a difficult moment. It is necessary, but not now.”
The Enel areas, between the interest of Lsct and nautical: is there a “stew” risk?
«These are precious areas especially for logistics and the port. The terminal will begin work and will no longer have space on the dock. Those areas can host more activities linked to the sea, with a reassuring prospect in terms of employment. It is likely to become a second logistics hub. The range of action expands, including docks, the Santo Stefano rear port and the Enel areas, with the Simplified Logistics Zone. Neighboring entrepreneurs can be stimulated and bring added value.”
The Pontremole theme returned at the Authority’s conference in recent days.
«I agree with Avena and Giampedrone: infrastructure costs, but let’s stop saying that the work can’t be done because there’s a lack of money. Different choices are made. The double locomotive? A stopgap solution, we need the infrastructure complete.”
At the same conference, Sommariva’s proposal to join forces with nearby ports emerged. Is it feasible?
«It recalls the experience of Ligurian Ports, extended to Livorno and Marina di Carrara. It can be a positive formula, in marketing terms. We’ll have to see from there to putting it into practice.”
Was it an encore or not?
«I hope for continuity in our Port Authority. Sommariva worked well. Although the appointments are political, I hope he can continue to lead the Authority. He demonstrated competence and ability to dialogue. A change, with the projects that are at stake, would not benefit anyone.”
You deal with training, is the distance between young people and port professions just a cultural problem?
«With the new school in the port Sommariva had an excellent intuition. It’s not just a cultural issue. Sometimes we entrepreneurs too have been skeptical about training, creating a generation gap without replacement.” —
