The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) will participate next week in Connecting Europe Days 2026, the main event of the European Union dedicated to mobility and transport infrastructures, which will be held in Brussels between September 28 and October 1. The organization will have its own presence at the stand number 12 in the Waterborne area, located in the Grand Hall.
The delegation announced by ESPO will be composed of Isabelle Ryckbost, Danique de Jonge, Tim Verhoeven, Piotr Krasnicki, Ana V., Chiara Mantovano, and Belén Landaluce Conesa. The port organization plans to use its participation to hold meetings with sector representatives and address the role of European ports in the development of transport networks and continental connectivity.
Connecting Europe Days will gather political representatives, financial institutions, companies, transport-related organizations, and officials from the European Commission. The 2026 edition will focus on the necessary measures to shape a competitive, resilient, safe, and sustainable European transport system, as well as future financing formulas for infrastructures.
The program pays specific attention to the maritime and port sector. The September 29 plenary session will be held on Gateways to Europe and the world: ports and the maritime sector in transition, dedicated to the priorities of the Maritime Industrial Strategy and the European Ports Strategy and their implications for value chains and European maritime infrastructures. The debate will include issues related to maritime industrial capacity, fleet renewal, climate objectives, and the economic and security interests of the EU.
The agenda of the September 30 also includes a session on ports as centers of digital autonomy for European economic security. The meeting will analyze reliance on foreign technologies and external data storage, as well as risks related to cybersecurity and the criminal use of port systems. The session will address planned actions within the framework of the European port strategy to increase control over software and data exchanges used in civil and military supply chains.
On the same day, the results of major European green and digital transition projects developed at airports and ports will also be examined, including PIONEERS, linked to the Port of Antwerp, and MAGPIE, developed in Rotterdam. The program will also include a specific session on the production of sustainable fuels for aviation and maritime transport and the existing challenges to expand their availability.
Port financing will have its own space on October 1, within the meeting of the European Maritime Space. The European Commission is holding this meeting in the context of new investment needs to modernize port infrastructures, improve connectivity, and develop the energy and digital transition. The meeting will address the combination of European grants, loans, advice, and private capital for the execution of port projects.
Connecting Europe Days will also feature an exhibition of projects funded by the European Union. More than a hundred organizations will present initiatives supported by instruments such as Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Transport, Horizon Europe, and LIFE, with projects related to infrastructures, innovation, digitalization, and sustainability. The area dedicated to maritime transport and waterways will bring together different port and logistics actions.
The general program will also dedicate sessions to the resilience of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), military mobility, multimodal connections, supply chain security, and investment needs linked to the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Union. The European Commission will livestream the opening and closing ceremonies and the plenary sessions.
