Quebec – Maritime industry leaders have joined forces to meet the port logistics challenges of the St. Lawrence-Saguenay system by establishing the Centre of Expertise in Port Logistics based in Trois-Rivières.
The Centre took advantage of the 4th Assises québécoises du secteur maritime to announce its creation, introduce its Board of Directors, its members and its General Manager. Bringing together the major leaders in the port sector, the Centre’s mission is to carry out applied research projects for this Quebec industry, and thus develop competitive, intelligent and sustainable logistics chains. The resulting improvement in supply chain efficiency will benefit the maritime and port industries, the research community and Quebec as a whole.
A significant part of the Canadian and Quebec economies is the result of trade passing through the St. Lawrence and Saguenay ports, and the ability of any one of these ports to support global trade depends on the competitiveness of the network as a whole.
“To maintain this competitiveness and stand out on a global scale, the ports will have to overcome challenges requiring collective efforts in research and innovation, and the pooling of expertise and resources. It was with this in mind, and because no other organization had yet taken on the exclusive mission of responding to port development issues, that the Centre of Expertise was created,” said Gaétan Boivin, President and CEO of the Port of Trois-Rivières and the Centre’s Board Chairman.
Mr. Boivin also took the opportunity to introduce the Centre’s General Manager, Vicky Adam (third from left in photo), who was recently appointed by the Board of Directors. “Following a rigorous recruitment process, the selection committee recommended the appointment of Ms. Adam as the Centre’s new General Manager. With a master’s degree in management sciences and a doctorate in administration, Ms. Adam joins the Centre after having worked for several years in the fields of naval architecture and design, as well as in research and management of port projects.”
“It is with great honour and dedication that I will take on the role of General Manager of the Centre, as entrusted to me. The Quebec port sector is vibrant, and the already strong affiliation of its members bears witness to the desire of these players to pool their efforts to meet the port logistics challenges of the St. Lawrence – Saguenay system, through the development of appropriate solutions and expertise,” emphasizes Ms. Adam.
Already, the Centre boasts over 20 members representing ports, terminal operators, the research community and organizations that revolve around the major port industry. The involvement of this dynamic ecosystem, whether through financial support or by opening up access to their infrastructure, equipment, workers and experts, enables the Centre’s programming to be directed towards developing or testing solutions aligned with their needs. The interface thus created between the ports, the scientific community and all other organizations will contribute to the adoption of a culture of innovation throughout the St. Lawrence – Saguenay region.
