For our third day of company visits, we remained in Limassol to visit some companies that are part of the shipping industry here in Cyprus. Due to the location of Cyprus being between Asia, Europe, and Africa and its geography being an island, one of the biggest shipping industries in the world is located in Cyprus.
The first company we visited was Dubai Ports World (DP World), an international operation that services various vessels in Cyprus. Specifically, DP World regulates and owns multi-purpose terminals to assist cargo ships, cruise ships, and oil and gas extraction. In a meeting with one of the executives, he was very enthusiastic when it came to recruiting women for the industry. It was clear that the shipping and maritime industries seem to be changing and looking to seek out more women and minorities for the industry. It was nice to know such an old industry could be suited for change. Similarly, they had a very positive outlook on working towards a more sustainable future. We toured the facility and the executive gave us some of the best advice I have heard. In explaining how soft skills are just as important as knowledge for the job, he said, “Give the job to the busiest person”. This showed me how a busy person will make time to have something done and they have the capacity to get the work done. As for the role of DP World in the shipping supply chain, they seemed to be more of a catalyst in the industry to provide services for the shipping vessels such as ports and terminals. The shipping vessels that the services are provided for include the supplier’s supplier or the normal supplier in the supply chain.
The second company we visited was P&O Maritime Services. Similar to the role of DP World, P&O Maritime Services seemed to play the role of a catalyst in the supply chain as they provided assisting services to the shipping industry. These services included tugboats, pilot deliveries, and oil spill response services. P&O worked closely with DP World and similarly promoted the presence of women in the industry. Our presenter demonstrated this by speaking to us about employing a female tug master, a job that is extremely demanding, male-dominant, and only for those with tough skin.
The third company we visited was Eurogate. Eurogate is specifically a container terminal, and in addition, is the only one on the island. I was by far most interested in this company due to the comprehensive nature of the presentation. We were given hard facts and statistics about their success, a detailed explanation of how their processes were carried out, and even a close-up tour of their operations. It was also the first company we have met so far that used AI in its process. Using AI, Eurogate is able to make the layout and organization of its containers much more efficient. Like many companies on the island, I was not surprised to hear they are under a 25-year concession government contract. Unlike DP World and P&O Maritime Services, Eurogate is purely a suppliers supplier and provides the storage and movement of containers to various suppliers. For the remainder of the day, we were fortunate enough to have lunch on a catamaran and enjoy the beautiful Cyprian weather.
