OPORTUNITY: The New Dynamic of Greater Western France’s Port Collective

OPORTUNITY is the new identity of Greater Western France’s port collective. It was unveiled at the launch event held in the evening of Thursday, 13th October, in the presence of over 150 Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port Community players. Instituted in 2018, Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire’s port promotion initiative is thereby given fresh impetus. To exist, the Port of Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire has to play as a team, to make its port services and logistics offer visible, to demonstrate agility and to take up, together, the challenge of energy transition.

Greater Western France’s port collective is adopting the name OPORTUNITY; it is asserting its unity in proposing a made-to-measure service offer to the Regional Community’s businesses. Its mission: to pull together and to promote port players from Nantes to Saint Nazaire, so as to deliver the best possible solution to regional, national and international customers. In this way, OPORTUNITY must serve to identify Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire as the natural maritime gateway for incoming and outgoing shipments for an agricultural cooperative in the Department of Mayenne in Greater Western France, just as for an industrial company in the State of Alabama that has links with the French market.

The collective comprises Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Port, Nantes Ports Maritime Union (UMNP), Nantes ‒ Saint Nazaire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Pays de la Loire Regional Authority, Saint Nazaire Urban Area District Authority, Nantes Metropolitan District Council, and Loire Atlantique Departmental Authority. Together, their ambition is to conquer new markets, to find new trading partners, to create service chains, and to develop new business and new employment.

Roadshow, Trade Shows… All under the OPORTUNITY Banner

A programme of action that pools all the Port Community’s expertise has been initiated and is being fleshed out. The Collective has already been represented this year at several key trade shows in the transport, logistics or renewable energy sector. It is positioning itself to take part in numerous gatherings in 2023, this time under the OPORTUNITY banner, including trade shows such as SITL, Breakbulk, Seanergy or Space.

As of December, in Angers, OPORTUNITY is launching the first stage of a roadshow that will take in a series of Departments, so as to be able to spend time talking to Greater Western France’s shippers.

To promote the offer internationally, the members of OPORTUNITY are expected to participate in trade missions abroad (Scandinavia in November, Africa early in 2023). In turn, they will be welcoming foreign delegations and will be opening the doors of the port terminals and logistics warehouses, to promote the facilities and to develop future potential.

OPORTUNITY intends to supplement these promotional activities through targeted influence-building actions utilizing business networking.

Here’s a look back at the launch event, in pictures!