The ESPO (European Sea Ports Organisation) annually awards recognition to a European port for innovative work and leadership in developing positive interaction between the port and society. The award has been granted since 2009. The winner is announced in early November at the annual ESPO Award gala in Brussels.
This year’s theme is “Ports that have developed innovative approaches and/or strategies to successfully attract more women to port work.” The ESPO Award 2025 will be presented to a port that actively promotes a supportive and inclusive work environment for female professionals, thereby advancing gender balance.
This year, the following six ports are competing for the award (listed in alphabetical order by country):
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 winner will be selected by an independent jury composed of international experts, chaired by former ESPO President Eamonn O’Reilly.
—The ESPO Award was established to promote the social integration of ports and cities. It is difficult to think of many more effective strategies to achieve this goal than inclusive employment policies that reflect broader society and promote gender balance and diversity across the sector. From the ports’ perspective, it makes no sense for employment barriers to limit recruitment, which could otherwise help us acquire the increasingly broad and specialized expertise needed in modern ports. This year’s strong pool of applicants provides valuable examples to inspire other ports and demonstrates that the entire sector is making continuous progress in advancing the social integration of European ports, says E. O’Reilly in ESPO’s press release.
Vaula Aunola
