New global port alliance

The main objective of the GPRA is to establish a global research, education and teaching platform in port operations, maritime and transport logistics by building collaborative arrangements among alliance members as well as with the industry.

Spokesperson and co-ordinator of the alliance, Dr Khalid Bichou, said to Port Strategy: “The port industry is highly consolidated and globalised and national boundaries are becoming less relevant in the operations, management, and regulation of port and maritime logistics activities.”

Dr Bichou pointed out that the alliance is in the process of establishing links with UNCTAD, the World Bank, ICHCA, Navis, Cargotec, the Port of Brisbane, NICTA and others.

“In the next few months we will be approaching international terminal operators, global carriers and 3PLs. Areas of collaborative work will include collaborative research projects, contract research, executive programmes and professional training, and student exchange programmes,” he said.

The first meeting of the alliance will be held from 10 to 11 April 2014 in Sydney along with the FACT conference being held to coincide with the IAPH 2014 conference.

GPRA’s constituent institutions are: Imperial College London, Malaysia Institute for Supply Chain Innovation, MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, National University of Singapore, Hong Hong Polytechnic University, Universitat Hamburg and The University of Sydney.

More information is available from the GPRA secretariat, Ruth Steel, at the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS), University of Sydney.