Cyber resilience, a key priority for FEPORT members
Over the past nine months, as we began implementing the SAFEDIGIMAR project under the leadership of France Cyber Maritime (FCM), FEPORT has gained a deeper understanding of what cyber resilience means for port operators and the wider maritime industry. Our exchanges with companies at SMM Hamburg and, more recently, during a working visit to PSA Europe in Antwerp have shown how much work is already under way—and how closely the efforts of different companies depend on one another.
For terminal operators, improving cyber resilience is a demanding task because port operations are both complex and highly connected. Terminal Operating Systems (TOS) help operators plan the use of space and coordinate the movement of cargo and equipment. That equipment also relies on software, while the TOS depends on secure and reliable connectivity. Operators may manage their own networks or rely on infrastructure and services provided by others.
Digitalisation has brought clear gains in efficiency and productivity. It has also increased exposure to cyber threats. Terminals exchange information with shipping lines and other partners throughout the logistics chain; ships themselves rely on systems and components supplied by many different companies. The security of one operator’s systems is therefore only part of the picture.
This is why we need to look beyond the largest companies. Smaller suppliers and service providers are part of the same maritime ecosystem, and weaknesses in one part of the chain can have consequences elsewhere. We are only as strong as our weakest link.
The conversations FEPORT had at SMM reflected different levels of preparedness across the sector. ENISA’s 2026 assessment points in the same direction: maritime cybersecurity maturity has improved, but there is still a gap between the sector’s preparedness and its critical importance.
Via SAFEDIGIMAR, FEPORT is helping to address that gap. The project offers practical support on incident response and is developing tools to help companies assess their cyber maturity and their readiness to meet NIS2 requirements. FEPORT will also organise webinars focused on measures that maritime companies can put into practice. The first, “Beyond ISPS: securing the maritime digital perimeter”, will take place on 22nd October.
In October, FEPORT Senior Policy Advisor and Team Leader on SAFEDIGIMAR will speak at the CIPRE conference about the protection and resilience of critical infrastructure, including ports.
NIS2 has brought greater attention to cybersecurity, and considerable voluntary and compliance efforts are being made across the maritime sector. However, there is still more to do. We are only as strong as our weakest link. Companies need to understand their dependencies along the logistics chain, prepare for incidents and work with their partners; policymakers, in turn, need to hear how these requirements function in practice.
FEPORT will continue to bring those perspectives together through SAFEDIGIMAR and its exchanges with the European Commission.
FEPORT Ninth Stakeholders' Conference
Dear institutional stakeholders, dear members, dear colleagues and friends,
FEPORT will hold its Ninth Annual Stakeholders’ Conference on 3 December 2026 at Residence Palace in Brussels, and we hope you will like the programme that we have prepared for you.
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the EU transport sector must evolve to help overcome funding shortfalls affecting the trans-European transport network. As highlighted by the European Commission’s EU Ports Strategy, modern ports are important nodes in the transport system. They are no longer simply docking points; they have evolved into complex, multimodal and multifunctional industrial hubs. They must simultaneously expand cargo capacity, digitalise supply chains, address growing cybersecurity and organised-crime threats, and act as key hubs for the clean energy transition.
Delivering the green and digital transformation of Europe’s transport infrastructure will require massive investment. The European Commission has estimated that the related infrastructure investment gap amounts to an additional €100 billion per year. Public budgets and Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) grants cannot meet these needs alone. Private capital is therefore not a luxury; it is an operational necessity.
While Public-Private Partnerships offer a proven way to unlock this funding, their deployment can be hindered by several obstacles. Fragmented national legislation, lengthy environmental permitting procedures and competition rules that do not reflect evolving risk allocations are among the significant barriers to attracting private capital.
The conference aims to address these friction points. It will provide a forum to explore how the EU can structurally de-risk and modernise investment frameworks and unleash the full potential of PPPs in the transport and logistics sector.
How can the European Union unleash the potential of PPPs in transport and logistics?
Below is a non-exhaustive list of the topics that will be discussed by our speakers and panellists:
- Expanding Financing Instruments: How can alternative and flexible financing structures make investments in military mobility, sustainable fuels and port infrastructure more attractive and bankable?
- Transparent Governance & Regulation: How can clear frameworks improve risk-sharing between public authorities and private operators? How can permitting rules be modernised to meet current investment needs?
- Multimodal Interoperability: How can a level playing field be ensured for different transport modes—including rail, inland waterways and road—within the EU Ports Strategy and the wider trans-European transport network?
- The “Port Fence” Disconnect: How can a seamless ship-to-rail interface become a reality? How can the upgrading of rail yards outside the port fence be accelerated? What type of partnership is needed between private terminal operators, public port authorities and national rail infrastructure managers to improve rail connectivity to and from ports?
- The Capacity Dilemma: With the revised TEN-T framework requiring infrastructure to progressively accommodate 740-metre freight trains, how can public-private contracts be structured to prevent private port efficiency from being undermined by rigid public rail-capacity allocations?
- Data Silos: Advanced Port Community Systems (PCS) can track cargo flows efficiently, but how can they communicate more effectively with and between other modes of transport? What types of partnerships are needed to improve data-sharing?
- The Mismatch Problem: Private infrastructure funds require rapid deployment, predictable returns and commercial flexibility, while CEF grants entail strict public-procurement requirements and multi-year timelines. How can this structural mismatch be addressed to keep private capital engaged in European transport?
The programme will be structured around four sessions:
SESSION 1: THE REGULATORY UNLOCK PANEL
SESSION 2: THE PHYSICAL INTERFACE PANEL
SESSION 3: THE DIGITAL SECURITY COOPERATION PANEL
SESSION 4: THE DE-RISKING CHALLENGE PANEL
Further details regarding the programme and our guest speakers will be announced shortly.
News
FEPORT replies to public consultation on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation – Brussels
FEPORT replies to public consultation regarding ´stress-test´ of Birds and Habitats Directives – Brussels
FEPORT discusses about the competitiveness of European ports at the first Mare Forum Germany – Hamburg
FEPORT joins France Cyber Maritime to promote SAFE DIGIMAR project at SMM 2026 – Hamburg
FEPORT welcomes Commission proposal for a new Public Procurement Act – Brussels
FEPORT attends the meeting of the Sustainable Ports Subgroup – Brussels
FEPORT, European Commission and ENISA discuss cybersecurity challenges in ports – Antwerp
State of the Union links new trade routes with faster project delivery – Strasbourg
FEPORT discusses the implementation of the new Union Customs Code at OCEAN’s 50th anniversary conference – Brussels
FEPORT discusses maritime logistics priorities at Porto Maritime Week – Leixoes
FEPORT addresses port competitiveness at the 16th Assises Port du Futur – Strasbourg
FEPORT attends stakeholder dialogue on ETS organised by MEP Liese – Brussels
FEPORT at Connecting Europe Days: delivering strategic port infrastructure – Brussels
FEPORT Event on the EU Ports Strategy at the European Parliament – Brussels
FEPORT calls on the ENVI Committee not to miss the opportunity to protect EU ports and terminals against transhipment relocation – Brussels
Members' news
HHLA advances remote-controlled rail handling – Hamburg
BEST strengthens container-handling capacity – Barcelona
