On October 16, 2023, in Mumbai, during a gathering planned specifically for this purpose, the Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations in India (FFFAI) and the Escola Europea de Short Sea Shipping, AEIE (EEIT) signed a memorandum of agreement.
The agreement was signed by Dushyant Mulani, Chairman, FFFAI and Eduard Rodés – director of the Escola Europea in presence of Mr. Shankar Shinde, Immediate Past Chairman, FFFAI; Mr. Lluís Salvadó – President of the Port of Barcelona; Ms. Ester Capella – Minister of Territories and Transport of Catalunya, HE. Mr. Fernando Heredia Noguer – Consul General of Spain in Mumbai and several other dignitaries.
The Escola Europea, a European training facility with a base in Barcelona, Spain, is a preeminent resource for multimodal logistics and transportation. The MoU’s goal is to expand bilateral initiatives with FFFAI, the national apex organisation for freight forwarders and customs brokers in India, as well as other logistics service providers. Additionally, it would promote great job possibilities, improve sustainable logistics, and foster a lively and active connection.
Key goals of the Memorandum of Understanding are to promote cooperative activities in logistics-port training and international trade; to establish a stable framework for collaborative courses; and to foster international student exchanges, given the significance of trade between India and Spain, its potential for future development, and the need for skilled labour to meet logistics requirements.
Both organisations concurred that in order to improve commercial connections between Spain and India and make transactions more effective and beneficial, it is critical to create better-trained, competent, and digitalized port communities. The groups have also underlined the significance of the growth of the Blue Economy, in which ports and associated logistical communities must play a leading role.
The Memorandum of Understanding states that a prototype training programme centred on cross-border commercial transactions including Europe, the Mediterranean region, and India would be established. Both marine and airborne transport operations will be covered in this instruction. Educators from secondary and tertiary institutions will lead the first training, which will serve as a preparation programme for future trainers.
The agreement also stated that a solid framework for cooperative courses will be developed under the auspices of the Port Virtual Lab initiative, contingent upon the results of this pilot programme and the parties’ shared goal in deepening their partnership.
Additionally, student exchanges between institutions will be supported within the context of international initiatives through the contacts made through these joint efforts, at both the business and educational levels.
