innovation : MAGPIE: five years of innovation shaping the European ports of tomorrow

After five years of research and demonstrations at European level, the MAGPIE project organised its final conference in Rotterdam. Bringing together several major European ports, including HAROPA PORT, the project explored concrete solutions to accelerate the decarbonisation, digitalisation and resilience of port ecosystems. This collaborative effort has generated valuable lessons that will continue to support the transformation of European ports.

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©MAGPIE

On 17 September 2026, the partners of the European MAGPIE project gathered in Rotterdam to take stock of five years of cooperation dedicated to the transition of European ports.

Coordinated by the Port of Rotterdam, the 45-partners consortium brought together several major port stakeholders, including HAROPA PORT, DeltaPort and the Port of Sines. 

The final conference was held jointly with the PIONEERS project, coordinated by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, offering a particularly comprehensive overview of the innovations developed across European ports in recent years. 

The final conference also featured contributions from project partners. On this occasion, Jérôme Besancenot, Digital Transition Project Director at HAROPA PORT, took part in a session dedicated to the port Digital Twin, one of the key enablers for transforming port infrastructure and operations. 

MAGPIE: a European living lab for the port of the future

Ports are facing a range of challenges: reducing their environmental footprint, modernising their infrastructure, integrating new digital tools, and strengthening their ability to respond to crises and geopolitical developments.

It is against this backdrop that MAGPIE was launched, with funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

The project focused on several strategic areas:

  • alternative fuels and green energy carriers;
  • the electrification of equipment and infrastructure;
  • autonomous transport;
  • digital technologies;
  • the optimisation of logistics chains.

Each partner port had its own operational constraints and level of maturity. The value of the project therefore lay not only in the solutions demonstrated, but also in its ability to identify the conditions required to roll out, replicate and scale up these innovations in other European port contexts.

A tool for sharing proven solutions

One of the project’s key legacies is a digital tool available to the entire maritime community, the: en Innovation Compass.

This online platform brings together the knowledge and insights gained throughout the programme and enables users to explore the different solutions developed and demonstrated as part of MAGPIE.

The tool is structured around 44 innovation topics, organised into three main areas:

  • accelerating the energy transition;
  • strengthening competitiveness through innovation and digitalisation;
  • enhancing the safety and resilience of port activities.

Case studies, videos, testimonials and lessons learned enable port stakeholders to compare existing solutions and identify the key enablers for the successful implementation of their future projects.

Against a backdrop of climate, energy and geopolitical challenges, cooperation between port ecosystems is more than ever a key driver of innovation and adaptation.