What is the state of sea transport in the Gulf of Poets and the Eastern Riviera? What prospects are there for its development? How can its numbers be increased? How can it turn towards an increasingly green vocation? These are the main questions that the speakers will answer at the seminar “Prospects and development of sea transport: the possible green revolution for the Gulf and the Riviera”, scheduled for Wednesday 26 June at 2.30 pm at the University Campus of La Spezia (viale Fieschi 1, “Il Torrione” classroom), in which representatives of institutions, designers and professionals will take part. The event is organized by the Ligurian District of Marine Technologies together with Promostudi and the La Spezia section of Atena: an opportunity to encourage dialogue between Blue Economy workers, institutions, universities and research, faithful to the intent of the promoters to bring out ideas, needs and address critical issues, as well as lay the foundations for new solutions and good practices. “The push towards green, in compliance with the objectives for reducing emissions and in particular Co2, is also evident in the maritime transport sector: from electric to hydrogen, projects and prototypes are multiplying. A change of pace and sensitivity is evident, which must now be put into place: for this reason, we believe the comparison between the different active parties that animate the sector is particularly important. It is clear that in a region like ours, the margins for increasing maritime transport services are large. More than a conference, this is intended to be a working meeting to examine the situation, the problems and propose solutions: in this way it will be possible to highlight the critical issues to be resolved at a technical and regulatory level and analyze the prospects for improvement. Spezia can be a model of national interest” declares the president of the DLTM Lorenzo Forcieri.
“2023 saw almost 39 million passengers choose the sea for local travel in Italy, with an increase of 10% on 2022 and 3% on 2019. Destinations such as the island of Palmaria, the Cinque Terre and San Fruttuoso however, they see a large number of passengers, almost all tourists, using local transport by sea. Technological developments reduce the environmental impact of this mode of transport and make it compatible with the delicate marine environments that characterize marine protected areas. Specific solutions for the needs of the area have been developed within the Ligurian faculties of naval and nautical engineering. With this conference the promoters want to compare them, with the aim of contributing to the diffusion, of local transport by sea, which generates a lower environmental impact than transport solutions by land and especially by road” underlines Admiral Claudio Boccalatte, president of Athena La Spezia.
The contribution of the university and research world is crucial, in this area, to develop specific design techniques that can be applied to means of transport, with the aim of reducing their environmental impact to a minimum. Professor Marco Ferrando, Rector’s Delegate and Director of the La Spezia University Campus, highlights the activities carried out by the University. “The La Spezia University Campus has been actively involved in the passenger transport sector since 2014, thanks to Admiral Dino Nascetti, then president of Promostudi. With the support of the La Spezia administration, Nascetti has created a consortium of companies and research institutions, both Italian and foreign. The SEABUS-PRO and SEABUS-NAV projects have made it possible to compete at a European level in the Horizon 2020 tenders, also attracting private investors interested in the realization of the project. This academic vision is still present in the projects of the students of the three-year degree courses in naval and nautical engineering and design. Some of these projects will be presented during the conference, together with research aimed at identifying strategies to significantly reduce Co2 emissions and promote ecological mobility. Electric motors and hybrid systems are combined with the use of hydrogen and alternative energy sources. The design of the ferry interiors aims to offer increasingly higher levels of comfort to passengers, while the operational configurations are designed to reduce vibrations and emissions, making navigation in protected marine areas possible. However, the limitations of operational and economic feasibility cannot be ignored, which often hinder the implementation of these solutions.” Of crucial importance, as underlined by Ferrando, is therefore the collaboration between universities, businesses and local administrations to develop innovative technologies in the transport sector, which are sustainable and compatible with environmental and economic needs. To enrich the debate, a focus dedicated to degree theses that wink at emerging technologies, such as hybrid propulsion, and illustrate how green is not just a manifesto, but a concrete path converted into specific design techniques.
