Sustainable ports for a Mediterranean blue economy

Starting from the new paradigm of blue economy, this chapter aims to outline the transition process that Mediterranean ports will have to undertake in the coming years to, on the one hand, maintain or increase their international freight flows and, on the other, become sustainable. The chapter frames the transformation processes of maritime strategies and port operations, from changing the relationship between port and city to the emergence of containerization and the reorganization of ports in terminals. Then, it introduces a definition of blue economy, linked to sustainability and partnership, necessary to ensure a-territorial governance, for preserving sea resources, reducing conflicts between users, ensuring long-term sustainability and prosperity. The emergence of supply chain systems, based on sustainable modes of transport and sustainable terminals, appears to be both a new element of port competitiveness and a stimulus to the energy transition needed to combat climate change. However, sustainability, introduced according to the so-called "triple bottom line", goes beyond the appreciable green ports initiatives, described in detail both in the actors and in the instruments. It requires a strong social investment by the ports, to both recovering the "lost" relationship with society, through the management of port soft values, and developing local skills and resources, based on the described approach of learning ports.