Fundación Valenciaport has completed the NeXTrain.PortS project to modernise port training

The consortium has published a handbook containing 29 professional profiles designed to address the energy and digital transition in the sector
The initiative, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme, comes to an end after three years of cooperation between ports and leading training centres

Valencia, 8 October 2026. – The European project NeXTrain.PortS (‘Empower Next Port Professionals with Innovative Skills through XR Immersive Training Programmes’) held its final meeting on 24 September at the offices of the Region of Tuscany in Brussels. After three years of work, the partners presented the results achieved in adapting the skills of port professionals to the challenges of digital transformation and the green transition.

The project, led by the Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mar Tirreno Settentrionale (AdSP) and involving the Fundación Valenciaport, is co-funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) through the Erasmus+ programme.

A skills map for the future of the sector

The role of the Fundación Valenciaport has been key in developing the scientific and strategic basis of the project. The Valencian organisation has coordinated the comprehensive report on professional profiles, drawn up on the basis of an exhaustive analysis and direct surveys of the port communities of Valencia, Rotterdam, Livorno, Venice, Piraeus and Genoa.

Analysis of this data has enabled the creation of a manual comprising 29 professional profiles, detailing the roles and skills required across four organisational levels: senior management, middle management, technical and administrative staff, and operational quay personnel.

The manual focuses on the new technical skills required in the digital and environmental spheres, serving as a strategic basis for upskilling talent within the European port and logistics sector.

Immersive technology and practical learning

Building on the definition of these profiles, the consortium has developed training programmes, teaching tools and virtual learning environments based on XR (Extended Reality) technologies.

The exchange of practical knowledge has been another key aspect of the project. The international mobility activities organised between the various participating ports have enabled these training programmes to be tested and direct experiences to be shared amongst more than 100 professionals and experts in vocational training.

For the Fundación Valenciaport, the results of this project provide a useful technical basis for continuing to update its training programmes. The aim is to continue contributing to the sector’s development through an academic offering aligned with the current labour market and the operational needs of ports.

Participating organisations

The NeXTrain.PortS consortium comprised seven European organisations: the Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mar Tirreno Settentrionale (Italy), the Fundación Valenciaport (Spain), the Provincia di Livorno Sviluppo (Italy), the Centro di Formazione Logistica Intermodale di Venezia (CFLI – Italy), the Centro di Competenza START 4.0 (Italy), Stichting STC Group (Netherlands) and the University of Piraeus Research Centre (Greece).