Building Governance Frameworks for the Port-City Interface: from Norms to Practice

Jean-François VEREECKE

Directeur général adjoint, Directeur de l'observation et de la prospective

AGENCE D'URBANISME ET DE DEVELOPPEMENT DE LA REGION FLANDRE DUNKERQUE

Jean-François Vereecke holds a PhD in economics and is both an urban planner and a visual artist. He is Deputy Director of the Urban Planning Agency for the Flanders-Dunkirk Region (AGUR), which he joined in 2000, and where he led the Observation and Foresight Division for 23 years. For over two decades, he has developed a systemic approach to territorial development, combining planning, industrial ecology and circular economy.

He is the creator of the “canvas” methodology and the original “Industrial Canvas®”, an ecosystem-based mapping tool that illustrates material, energy and service flows between territorial stakeholders. Applied to water, energy, food systems and waste, this method supports public decision-making and fosters inter-actor cooperation. It is now disseminated throughout France and abroad via training programs, consultancy support and conferences.

He has contributed to several research-action projects (including EPIFLEX with EDF R&D and Mines ParisTech), published in journals such as Blue Papers, and presented his work at the 2023 United Nations Water Conference. In parallel with his scientific work, he is also a visual artist whose work has been shown in galleries and contemporary art fairs in several countries, and serves as Treasurer of the Regional Contemporary Art Fund (FRAC) for the Hauts-de-France region.

 

Mustapha LHAMOUZ

Directeur de la Régulation des activités et des opérateurs

AGENCE NATIONALE DES PORTS

Mr. Mustapha LHAMOUZ has over twenty-five years of experience at the heart of the Moroccan port ecosystem. He has notably contributed to the various transformations experienced by this sector and has participated in the major structuring projects that have marked its recent history, namely: port reform, the 2030 port strategy, the creation of the port competitiveness observatory, the development of port concessions, etc.

Holder of a State Engineering degree from EHTP-Casablanca, complemented by several specialized training programs in logistics, port management, and corporate governance, Mr. LHAMOUZ is the head of the Regulation Department within the National Ports Agency (Agence Nationale des Ports), the authority overseeing Morocco's ports (excluding Tangier Med), since July 2015. He previously held the positions of Head of the Environmental Relations Division and Head of the Land Management Department at the Port of Casablanca. He notably leads the National Ports Agency's strategy for the enhancement and optimization of port land, establishing the various contractual frameworks governing the regimes for exercising port activities.

 

Carlos LAZZARINI

Subgerente General

CONSORCIO DE GESTION DEL PUERTO DE DOCK SUD

Carlos Gustavo Lazzarini is Deputy General Manager of the Dock Sud Port Management Consortium, in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentine Republic.

He is an expert in urban futures and metropolitan governance, as well as a strategist in communication, development, narrative, and city branding.

He is a doctoral candidate in Communication, a specialist in Political Science, holds a degree in Social Communication, and is a journalist.

Josep Lluís DIEZ I BESORA

Jefe de Área de Dominio Público y Servicios Jurídicos / Profesor Asociado de Derecho de la Navegación, el Transporte y la Logística

AUTORIDAD PORTUARIA DE TARRAGONA

Professional Background:

At the Port Authority of Tarragona, he holds the position of Chief Legal Officer and Head of Public Domain, as well as Port Security Officer (PSO) and Director of Security, managing the security of this critical infrastructure and the Port Police. He also serves as President of the Port’s Health and Safety Committee.

At Rovira i Virgili University, he is an Associate Professor of Maritime, Transport and Logistics Law, and is currently a PhD candidate in Maritime Law. His doctoral research focuses on “The Contract for the Provision of Maritime Passenger Services.”

He is a practicing lawyer and President of the Maritime, Port and Transport Law Section of the Tarragona Bar Association.

Academic Background

He holds a Law Degree from the University of Barcelona. 

In maritime studies, he holds a Master’s Degree in Maritime Law from the Barcelona Bar Association, a Master’s in Maritime Business and Port Management from the Nautical Faculty of  Barcelona, and Postgraduate Diplomas in Port Operations from both the Nautical Faculty of Barcelona and from North Kent College and the Lloyd’s Maritime Academy.

In the field of security, he holds a Master’s Degree in Emergency Management from the University of Valencia, a Master’s in Critical Infrastructure Security from the Carlos III University of Madrid, and a Master’s in Integral Security from the Central University of Catalonia. 

Fabrice MAZOUNI

Directeur Général des Services

SYNDICAT DE L’EAU DU DUNKERQUOIS

Fabrice Mazouni serve as Director of the Dunkirk Area Water Authority (SED) since 2017. Energy and environment engineer, he previously held the position of Deputy Director of Urban Ecology for the Dunkirk Urban Community (CUD). He participates in various working groups focused on water resources and the circular water economy, particularly regarding industrial uses. He helped develop the “industrial water canvas” in collaboration with the Flanders-Dunkirk Region Urban Planning Agency (AGUR) and contributed to "Acts II and III"—initiatives led by the NGO Green Cross aimed at enhancing water resilience at the local level.

The Dunkirk Area Water Authority serves 29 municipalities (220,000 inhabitants). It defines local water policy and establishes the strategic priorities and direction for both drinking water and industrial water services. A pioneer in resource conservation efforts, the Authority is committed to the circular economy and inclusive water management. "Acts II and III" brought together many personalities from the field of water to guide concrete solutions for "water" resilience in territories.

(www.leaududunkerquois.fr/kiosque/presse/)

 

Moderator

Hilda GHIARA

Tenured Researcher and Professor in Maritime Traffic, Ports and Regional Economies

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI GENOVA

Hilda Ghiara is an adjunct professor and tenured researcher in applied economics, at the Department of Economics of the University of Genoa Italy, where she is responsible for a full 
module dedicated to the port and maritime economy. She is also a member of the scientific board of the Italian Centre of Excellence for Integrated Logistics (CIELI). Alongside the AIVP, she was one of the promoters of the Port Center concept, a dedicated space helping to strengthen the relationship between the city and the port.