Over the past three years, the TREASURE Project has been testing innovative and integrated solutions to reduce sediment and water pollution in port areas across the Mediterranean. By bringing together port authorities, researchers, public institutions and private innovators, the project has created a collaborative framework for accelerating the environmental transition of ports.
The project’s achievements and lessons learned were showcased during the TREASURE Final Conference, held in Toulon, France, on 29-30 September 2026. Representatives from the pilot ports of Durrës (Albania), Livorno (Italy),La Valletta (Malta), Piraeus (Greece) and Valencia (Spain) shared their experiences in testing innovative approaches to improve environmental quality in and around port areas.
A key element of the project was the identification and testing of cutting-edge environmental remediation solutions. Through a dedicated call for expressions of interest, TREASURE developed a comprehensive catalogue of innovative technologies and practices, enabling ports to select solutions tailored to their specific environmental challenges. Several solution providers attended the conference to present their technologies and discuss their practical application in Mediterranean ports.
The event provided an opportunity to reflect on the project’s main achievements and explore pathways for their wider uptake and replication, including:
🔹 Establishing multi-stakeholder ecosystems through local “mini-territorial labs”
🔹 Developing and testing a common framework for environmental impact assessment and hazard management
🔹 Identifying and piloting innovative remediation techniques for polluted port environments
🔹 Discussing how European port authorities can accelerate the environmental transition of the maritime sector
🔹 Visiting the ENVISAN sediment remediation platform and learning from its practical experience
The discussions confirmed that stronger cooperation, evidence-based environmental assessment and innovative remediation technologies are key to building cleaner, more resilient and sustainable Mediterranean ports.
