Pictured: Pembroke Port, operated by the Milford Haven Port Authority. Image courtesy of the Milford Haven Port Authority.
The British Port Association (BPA) has elected Alec Don, Chief Executive of Milford Haven Port Authority, as the new chairman for a two-year term.
Don takes over chairman responsibilities from Rodney Lunn, Chief Executive at the Port Shoreham.
Addressing the BPA at the Annual General Meeting, Don outlined his vision for the UK Ports industry — calling for ports to be the centre of new development and enterprise zones to enable UK ports to grow in the global economy.
Don stated: “My vision, on behalf of the BPA members, and indeed all ports, is that we have an economy where investment is not something that happens by permission.
“That within clearly identified port zones and sites linked to and trading through port zones, entrepreneurial investment and job creation occurs at the pace that suits the market and genuinely facilitates trade.”
Don highlighted how vital UK ports were to the local economy, quoting the total value of investment plans of ports at £1.7 billion.
Read the “E-Commerce Demands: A New Era of Port Technology” technical paper for a discussion on the impact of E-commerce developments on the supply chain
Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani MP attended the event as part of the launch of the Government’s launch of the Port Connectivity Study.
The BPA welcomed the study and has called for it to form part of a wider freight strategy over strategic funding of the industry.
Ghani said: “I am really pleased to be able to have the opportunity to address a key part of the ports sector at the BPA lunch and launch the findings of the Port Connectivity Study.
“BPA members large and small are vital parts of the economy and this report highlights how their activity, combined with ongoing government investment in transport to improve connectivity, can have positive wider economic benefits.”
