July 30, 2021 — 2021 was the first year that Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) subsidiary Port of Kaohsiung submitted an entry to the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP), a global ports-recognition awards program organized by the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH). Its entry “Master Plan for Future Development and Construction, 2017 – 2021” rose to the top of a strong competitive showing to win top honors in the WPSP Resilient Physical Infrastructure category on June 24th. To continue building on this positive momentum, TIPC, in cooperation with Kaohsiung City, industry, and academia, will hold the live-streaming Sustainable Ports & Cities Forum on August 10th (Tuesday) from 13:20 to 17:50. This forum is designed to be a public platform for stakeholders and the general public to discuss and frame the future course of port and city development in Kaohsiung. All are welcome to join in the conversation! Register online by scanning the QR code below or by visiting the website: https://bit.ly/3inC0VV.
TIPC continually hones operations at its Port of Kaohsiung subsidiary both to bolster international competitiveness via an appropriately broad and deep range of business services and to ensure long-term port sustainability. In terms of sustainability, port construction projects and environmental management measures consider innovation and sustainable development from the earliest planning stages, eco-friendly construction methods strengthen new port infrastructure facilities, and older / disused areas of the port are renovated and repurposed to create new areas of city-port synergy and convergence. All efforts aim to create a truly ‘green’ eco-port that supports sustainability across business, life, and the environment.
TIPC is looking to leverage Port of Kaohsiung’s newly won IAPH recognition for resilient physical infrastructure to bring together experts and authorities from government, industry, and academia in the August 10th Sustainable Ports & Cities Forum. MOTC Minister Kwo-tsai Wang, Kaohsiung City Deputy Mayor Charles Lin, NSYSU President Ying-yao Cheng, and TIPC Chairman Hien-yi Lee are all scheduled to attend. In addition European Sea Ports Organization representative Christopher Wooldridge will join in the discussions on how best to build forward the city-port future of Kaohsiung. Apart from the expected lively online interactions on various related topics, forum organizers have asked industry, government, and academic experts to engage in targeted discussions of sustainable port cities and sustainable engineering projects and will hold open forum discussions on two topics – “Blueprint for Port City Sustainability” and “Hope for a Long-term, Sustainable Future”. Furthermore, one day before the forum, the organizers will launch a parallel online exhibition featuring related research into port design, construction, and monitoring to increase visitors’ awareness and understanding of various topics and inspire long-term appreciation of and engagement with ports.
Port of Kaohsiung is Taiwan’s largest port and a key hub in the modern global trade network. This year’s WPSP award has turned a welcome spotlight on the Port of Kaohsiung’s long-running efforts to improve the sustainability of its operations. Both TIPC and its Port of Kaohsiung subsidiary have every confidence that, with the support and affirmation of their stakeholders, even better is yet to come!
