The mid-term knowledge dissemination and development seminar of LASTING project has been organized on June 23rd in Durres (Albania) at Amara Hotel & Spa, Shetitorja e Plazhit No.1.

The works have been opened by the project coordinator, Dr. Giuseppe Garofalo from ASSET - Puglia Region, who illustrated the main results achieved, the future objectives and the critical issues that emerged.

An important contribution was offered by the speech of Dr. Endrit Polio, Director of CEMA (Centre of Excellence for Maritime Affairs) in Durres, who summarized the role of the Port Authority of Durres and the ongoing activities within the research centre.

The seminar continued with the contribution of the University of Bari, Ionian Department of Law, Economics and Environment (Dott. Alessandro Rubino and Claudia Capozza), who illustrated the main results of the quantitative and qualitative analysis conducted within the project (Passenger Mobility in the Lower Adriatic 2023 research - PMLA). Important indications have emerged in terms of mapping of ports traffic, potential logistical developments and the signs of recovery, especially after pandemic impact, on the different routes embracing several countries.

A specific session of the seminar was dedicated to the contributions of the partners, which highlighted the progress in their respective activities.

In particular, Dr. Fabrizio Spallone of Sviluppo Italia Molise - Molise Region, presented the state of the art in WP Communication; Dr. Vegim Hoti from Durres Port Authority and Dr. Rade Stanišić of the Port of Bar, highlighted their specific contributions and competences, with particular attention to electronic vehicle and passengers control systems.

As summarized by Dott. Massimo Lupis from ASSET- Regione Puglia, the seminar has been particularly important because can be considered as an intermediate step towards the1st Lower Adriatic Transnational Summit to be held in September in Bari, a great occasion to present LASTING guidelines towards a shared passenger transport strategy, which will involve the Ministries of Transport of Albania, Montenegro, Puglia Region and Molise Region, and subsequently extended to the Ministries of Transport of Northern Macedonia and Bulgaria.

The main goal of next project period (and of the final event in particular), is to deepen and share information about the expected benefits, goals and hurdles to overcome towards a more connected and integrated Lower Adriatic transnational region.

In this direction, also through the promotion of a specific Memorandum of Understandings between political authorities, it will be possible to set-up new forms of collaboration, focalized on transport but also on general economic development, between international countries.