Musolino: The future of transportation is a global issue. By charting the course, the ship sails

Rome – “The future of transportation is not just about Italy and Europe, but about the whole world and world trade. If you don’t move goods — because 90 percent goes through maritime transport — you don’t have international trade, you don’t have stability, you don’t have wealth, you don’t have development.” These are the words of Pino Musolino, president of the Port System Authority of the North Central Tyrrhenian Sea, on the sidelines of the conference ‘Sea Routes and Intermodality for the Integration and Sustainability of European Transport,’ promoted by Connact in collaboration with the Italian offices of the EU Parliament and Commission.

“It is clear that we are in a ‘pivotal’ phase:  ecological transition, energy transition, process transition, change of mindset, and strong elements of technological innovation. I’m thinking of the impact of artificial intelligence, but not just that — 5G, 6G, augmented reality. So many elements, obviously including the shift in transport modes, which is the easiest thing,” he adds. “Before inventing new technologies, let’s optimize and make more efficient what we have,” Musolino stresses. “This means doing the same with less or shifting the polluting moment of emissions to a transport mode with less impact. So, intermodality is one of the elements that will allow us to move towards the decarbonization in transport.”

Speaking about the ports reform, Musolino argues that “the first question I think is what do we want to achieve? What is the ultimate goal? Based on that, we have to see if the existing tools could or can, adequately implemented, perhaps respond to those needs and, if this need is not met or only partly met, proceed with reforms.” Otherwise, he explains, “it’s just a logical process that doesn’t add up. We reformed the system in 2016, corrected it in 2017, and today, in 2024, maybe we need to make a pit stop, like in Formula 1, to see if what we have on our hands needs to be reformed or maybe just ‘make-up’ interventions are enough. I, however, cannot say that since I am not a legislator.”

Musolino says that he is waiting now “for the government to present a draft reform law. I would say that, ideally, the most important thing would be, perhaps, to identify where we want to go, because by charting the course the ship sails,” he concludes.