The Ashdod Port Company hosted the National Conference for Trade Infrastructures and Innovation, in collaboration with the Calcalist newspaper. The conference dealt with a variety of issues, such as the impact of the port reform on competition, service policy and consumer prices; Innovative technologies to optimize maritime traffic and the supply chain; future trends in the fields of infrastructure and energy; The ways to promote major projects in Israel related to the world of infrastructure; and more.
On the occasion of the conference, Ashdod Mayor Dr. Yehiel Lesri, Merav Michaeli, Minister of Transportation, Adv. Michal Rosenbaum, Director of the Government Companies Authority, MK Alex Kushnir, Chairman of the Finance Committee, Prof. Leo Leiderman, Chief Economic Advisor Bank Hapoalim, Minister of Energy Karin Elharer, Attorney Mia Likvarnik Chairman of the National Tax Agency, Founding Partner of the Pitango Foundation and Chairman of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation Hami Peres and other guests.
During the conference, Minister of Transportation Merav Michaeli, Director of the Government Companies Authority Attorney Michal Rosenbaum, and Chairman of the Finance Committee and MK Alexander Kushnir, spoke about infrastructure in Israel and the acceleration of major projects in Israel. The minister said that: “Today the port of Ashdod is the most significant in Israel, the port itself has done significant things for renewal such as deepening the platform, starting the running of the conveyor belt and more.”
According to her: “When I met the chairman of the board of directors of the port Orna Hozman Bekur for the first time, she told me that her task was to prepare the port for competition – and today this challenge is more tangible than ever. The port has all the tools to do this, and the workers here understand the significance of maintaining this house.’ Also, there was a conversation with the Minister of Energy Karen Elharer on the subject of Israel’s challenges in regards to the energy crisis, overcrowding and the cost of living.
Orna Hozman-Bakur, chairman of the Ashdod Port Board of Directors, said that “We must privatize Ashdod Port if we want it to be bustling with life. We prepared the port for competition and turned it from low-tech to high-tech, whoever buys Ashdod port will receive a very advanced port on a platter with the most advanced technologies available. As part of the preparation for the competition, we invested NIS 2.4 billion in a deep water dock that will compete with the private ports. We also introduced crane technologies that can be operated by a remote joystick, and today there are 62 start-up companies operating in the port.’
Among the other speakers at the conference, it is possible to mention the chairperson of Netanz, Aya Avidor, Roi Abrahami, manager of the innovation system of the Port of Ashdod, Hagai Friedman, CEO and founding partner of the start-up Enwize who takes part in the port’s innovation incubator, Ashdod Port CEO Eli Bar Yosef, Israel Shipping Port CEO Zvika Shechterman, and the president of the Chamber of Shipping Dr. Yoram Zeba who participated in the panel discussing how to deal with supply chain challenges , the lack of raw materials and the traffic jams in the ports.