The kick-off meeting of the seed-money project Connect2Small Ports (within the frame of the Interreg South Baltic Programme 2014-2020, ERDF co-financed) took place on the 29th of August 2017 at the Motus Foundation in Gdynia.
Representatives of all partners involved in the project joined the meeting. The lead partner in the project is Hochschule Wismar, University of Applied Sciences: Technology, Business and Design (DE), which was represented by Project Manager Laima Gerlitz and Researcher and Lecturer Robert Philipp. Other partners in the project are: Blekinge Institute of Technology (SE) represented at the meeting by Assistant Professor Larry Henesey; Klaipeda Science and Technology Park (LT) represented by Innovation Manager Erika Zavackienė and Motus Foundation (PL) represented by the Managing Director Emil Arolski, Senior Consultant Monika Rozmarynowska-Mrozek and Project Managers Karolina Lubiejewska and Julia Ziółkowska. Bogdan Ołdakowski – Secretary General and Marcin Włodarski – Project Manager- both representatives of the Baltic Ports Organization (EE) joined the meeting as well.
The aim of the kick-off meeting was to introduce all the partners and to exchange detailed information on the state of play of small ports in the South Baltic – each partner presented the characteristics of small ports in his country. Another important theme of the meeting was to prepare a strategy regarding the engagement of stakeholders and target groups. Partners agreed on the content of the interview questionnaire which will be performed among port authorities, port operators, communes and other organizations involved in the development of small ports. The meeting included a presentation regarding technical requirements namely the project rules and partners obligations.
The next meeting of the project partners and stakeholders is planned at the end of October 2017.