BLUE PORTS Project Third Consultative Meeting

On June 2, 2025, the third consultative meeting of the National Technical Committee of the European Commission-funded BLUE PORTS project took place. The meeting was attended by Professor George Gabedava, Head of International Relations Service at BNTU.

The project aims to develop innovative training and certification schemes, integrate environmentally clean products and services, and implement new operational methods to achieve climate neutrality.

Within the framework of the third consultative meeting, several important issues were discussed:

Completion of certification regulations, which includes:

• Certification maintenance and renewal procedures
• Mechanisms for periodic review and updating of the scheme;

Scheme maintenance and dissemination possibilities:

• Adaptation and dissemination strategies at the European Union level;
• Perspectives for dissemination and long-term sustainability.

The meeting also discussed issues of integrating the BLUE PORTS certification scheme with national systems and strengthening its impact.

Within the project framework, the creation of the latest digital learning materials and instruments is expected, along with the retraining of more than 200 qualified professionals and more than 150 young personnel in participating countries.

The innovative BLUE PORTS certification scheme, which is oriented toward small and medium-sized ports and complies with ISO/IEC 17024 standards, will be tested and validated in selected Mediterranean and Black Sea ports in the initial phase.

The BLUE PORTS consortium is led by the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Laboratory of the Technical University of Crete (TUC), which brings together eight partners from Greece, Spain, Italy, Georgia, and Tunisia, as well as 26 supporting organizations.

BNTU continues its active involvement in international projects, which ensures harmonization with European standards and the transfer of modern knowledge and skills to students. This initiative significantly contributes to the green transformation of Georgia's maritime sector and achieving zero emissions in port activities.