Do Mediterranean ports still have a future – or will new corridors, from the Arctic routes to desert railways, bypass the region altogether? On Monday, 8 June, Koper will for one day become a key hub of Mediterranean geopolitics and logistics as the international conference “Geopolitics of Transport” brings together decision‑makers, port CEOs, shipping representatives and leading academics from across the Mediterranean.
A high‑level executive panel will feature Nevenka Kržan, CEO of the Port of Koper, Marco Consalvo, President of the Port Authority of Trieste, and Bojan Hlača, Chairman of the Port Authority of Rijeka, who will present their visions for the future of North Adriatic ports and debate with top experts in Mediterranean logistics and rail freight. The discussions will focus on whether investment choices, hinterland rail connections and port cooperation will determine who emerges as a winner – and who is pushed to the margins – in the new geopolitical game of corridors.
Among the speakers are former Slovenian transport ministers Marko Pavliha and Patrick Vlačič, former Italian minister and Mayor of Venice Paolo Costa, former Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Nedžad Branković, President of the Slovenian Shipowners’ Association Gracijan Necmeskal, Slovenia’s Permanent Representative to NATO Andrej Benedejčič and Lorenzo Noto from the editorial board of the Italian geopolitical journal Limes. The event is organised by the Euro‑Mediterranean University (EMUNI) and embedded in a broader debate on European strategic autonomy, freedom of navigation and the EU’s transport policy.
The conference is organised as a EUNICoast Joint Strategic Initiative and forms part of the Ocean Literacy activities taking place in Koper on that day, highlighting the link between maritime awareness, education and the geopolitics of Mediterranean transport. Detailed programme information and registration are available at: https://emuni.si/geopolitics-of-transport.