The first edition of the Executive Master in Port Terminal Management officially kicks off at Terminal Napoli – Maritime Station, promoted by Assiterminal and ForMare, with the patronage of Assoporti. The program was created to strengthen the managerial and operational skills of port professionals, responding to the needs of terminal companies. The first edition involves 30 students from 13 companies in the port terminal sector, operating in cargo handling and passenger flow management. The class brings together top executives, heads of operational, port, and terminal areas, human resources, commercial, marketing and customer service functions, communication, as well as quality, safety, environment, and digitalization. Aged between 24 and 58, the participants bring different experiences and perspectives, fostering a cross-sectional understanding of business management.
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“We are extremely satisfied – emphasizes the President of Assiterminal, Tomaso Cognolato – with the response obtained from this first edition of the Master, which exceeded all expectations, forcing us to close registrations early. It confirms that there is a concrete demand for advanced training on strategic topics for the future of the maritime-port system. We have built an innovative, unique program with a highly qualified faculty and the sharing of practical and operational experiences. Equally significant is the quality of the participants, professionals and managers who will contribute to enriching the discussion and exchange of experiences. Investing in advanced training and skills development means contributing to building an increasingly competitive, innovative port system capable of facing the major ongoing transformations. Terminals represent the true engine of Italian ports and the link between sea and land: a significant part of the competitiveness of the entire national logistics system depends on their ability to evolve, innovate, and compete.”
“The launch of this Master – states Fabrizio Monticelli, CEO of ForMare – represents a further step for ForMare in the path undertaken to strengthen managerial skills in the maritime-port sector. With this new collaboration, we expand our commitment to executive advanced training, focusing on logistics and terminal assets, which play a strategic role for the competitiveness of the entire sector. The program arises from listening to the needs expressed by companies and the awareness that, in a complex and constantly evolving sector, it is essential to offer professionals a cross-sectional vision of the various activities: from management and organizational aspects to economic, legal, and operational ones. Our goal is to provide concrete tools and opportunities for qualified discussion, supporting managers and companies in facing sector transformations with greater awareness.”
“The project – highlights the scientific director, Davide Maresca – was born from the need to promptly respond to the structural transformations that are redefining the terminal market and, at the same time, to the increasing complexity of the regulatory framework governing port state concessions and competitive procedures. The scientific framework of the Master aims to provide the leadership with specialized and interdisciplinary skills, combining knowledge of legal and contractual aspects with a strategic vision and the operational skills necessary to face new challenges and strengthen terminal competitiveness.”
The program is divided into 12 modules and 84 hours of lessons, from September 18 to December 12, 2026, alternating four in-person weekends in Naples, Rome, Venice, and Genoa and three remote ones. The first module, dedicated to the global scenario of port infrastructures and terminals, features interventions by Alessandro Panaro (SRM) and Oliviero Baccelli (Bocconi University), with testimony from Alberto Pagani (University of Bologna).
Tomorrow will be dedicated to the terminal company, with Gian Enzo Duci (ESA) and Giovanni Satta (University of Genoa) and testimonies from Umberto Masucci (FHP Group and The International Propeller Clubs), Michele Zaccaria (Salerno Container Terminal), and Francesco Parola (Universitas Mercatorum and Transport Regulation Authority).
Under the scientific direction of lawyer Davide Maresca, the Master combines lessons, case studies, and exercises, with contributions from managers, professionals, and sector experts. The program delves into management models, the legal and regulatory framework, concessions and contracts, operational processes, and terminal work. The program is completed by digitalization and automation, sustainability, compliance, financial governance, taxation, and strategic communication. The goal is to strengthen the skills needed to face the daily challenges of the terminal sector, integrating strategic, organizational, and operational aspects of business management.
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