TRIESTE – Marco Consalvo, candidate for the presidency of the Port System Authority of the Eastern Adriatic Sea, outlined today before the Transport Committee of the Chamber of Deputies his vision for the future of the Port of Trieste.
After a brief reminder of the national and European role of the port – the first in Italy for cargo volumes and equipped with a first-class railway network – Consalvo stressed the need to make the port system competitive with the major Northern European hubs.
«The president of a port authority must not only manage quays and concessions, but create the conditions for the development of a complex system», he said, highlighting the importance of the North Adriatic’s geographical position as a natural junction between the Mediterranean, Central Europe and the Balkans.
Consalvo identified as a priority the unblocking of already planned investments: «There are funds that have been frozen for a year. The goal is to accelerate the implementation of the PNRR projects, which allocate 406 million euro to the Port of Trieste, plus 10 million for rail access.»
Among the most strategic dossiers, the candidate mentioned Pier VIII, whose development «would triple the port’s capacity». The project involves an investment of 316 million euro, with a public-private partnership also involving the Port of Hamburg: «Strong coordination is needed with the MIT (Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure), the MEF (Ministry of Economy and Finance) and the Ministry of the Environment to push this project forward», he added.
Another key point of his address was the revitalisation of the Free Port, which Consalvo considers «a major opportunity not yet fully exploited». He stressed the need for regulatory checks to expand the potential of the instrument, enhancing it «also in view of the Indo-Mediterranean Corridor (IMEC)”». According to Consalvo, combining the fiscal advantages of the Free Port with the new commercial flows between India, the Arabian Peninsula, Suez and the Mediterranean could strengthen Trieste’s role as a strategic logistics hub for Europe.
In his hearing, he also recalled the importance of sustainability, energy transition and shore-side electrification, stressing the need for constant dialogue with all stakeholders in Trieste and Monfalcone. «Only a shared strategy can guarantee trust, transparency and growth» he concluded.
