The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) has announced the shortlisted candidates for the 17th edition of the prestigious ESPO Award. This year, six entries were received by the ESPO secretariat, each aligning with the 2025 award theme: “Ports that have developed innovative policies and/or strategies to successfully attract more women to work in ports.”
This year’s accolade will be presented to a port authority that demonstrates exceptional commitment to creating a welcoming and equitable workplace for women in the port industry, thereby contributing to greater gender diversity. Members of ESPO had until Friday, 4 July, to submit their applications for consideration.
The six finalists, listed alphabetically by country, are:
- Port of Helsinki (Finland)
- Assoporti (Italy)
- Port of Rotterdam (the Netherlands)
- Port of Gdynia (Poland)
- Port of Lisbon (Portugal)
- Shoreham Port Authority (United Kingdom)
The recipient of the 2025 ESPO Award will be selected by an independent panel of international experts, chaired by Eamonn O’Reilly, former Chair of ESPO.
“The ESPO Award was established to promote the societal integration of ports and cities. It is difficult to think of many more effective strategies to achieve this than by having inclusive employment policies which are reflective of wider society and which promote gender balance and diversity throughout the sector. It makes no sense for ports to have employment barriers which limit the talent pool we look to for the increasingly wide and specialised skill sets needed in modern ports. The strong field of applications this year provides valuable exemplars to inspire other ports and demonstrates continued progress across the sector to enhance the societal integration of Europe’s ports.”
The winner will be unveiled at the official ESPO Award Ceremony and Dinner, scheduled for 5 November at the Hotel des Douanes in Brussels. The 2025 ESPO Award painting, specially created by Dutch artist Sasja Hagens, will also be revealed as part of a dedicated series for ESPO.
Established in 2009, the ESPO Award on Societal Integration of Ports aims to highlight and encourage forward-thinking projects by European ports that strengthen ties with their local communities through innovative initiatives.
This year’s theme reflects the evolving priorities of the sector, making MTB Ports & Terminals the ideal platform for Buyers to connect with forward-thinking suppliers driving innovation, diversity, and sustainable growth in global port operations. If you are interested, contact us today.
