Provence Promotion engaged with Via Marseille Fos

The ambitions for the port community of Marseille Fos

The appeal of Aix-Marseille-Provence is the battle cry of the economic development agency Provence Promotion. The agency and Via Marseille Fos (VMF), the port promotion agency, are working closely together to attract new logistics project developers ‒ ship owners, logistics providers or even start-ups ‒ to the region. Stéphane Salvetat, the new president elected last December, unveiled the association's goals and the new strategy he wants to pursue during his term.

The directors of Via Marseille Fos met at the headquarters of the Grand Port Maritime on February 28 to introduce the new president of the association, elected last December. Under the alternating presidency arrangement with the AMP CCI, for the next two years the association will be led by Stéphane Salvetat, president of the Syndicat des Transitaires de Marseille et de Fos (a member of the Union Maritime et Fluviale) and also managing director of the transit company Lam France. His term will focus on opening up towards local and international opportunities, but will also be centered on development aimed at the hinterland and logistics providers, who are important supply chain decision makers.

One of the destinations targeted in 2022 is Germany ‒ especially Duisburg, to which CMA CGM has been offering twice-weekly rail service since January 22 from both Marseille and Fos.

"In addition to its industrial power, Germany offers a lot of potential in terms of logistics. We need to raise our profile by participating in roadshows and organizing webinars to develop business opportunities. Via Marseille Fos does more than maritime! In fact, we have a program for the Rhône-Saône route with a roadshow in Châlon-sur-Saône, followed by trips to Grenoble, Toulouse and Bordeaux. We are also thinking about exchanges between students and researchers," says Stéphane Salvetat.

Alain Mistre, president of the Union Maritime et Fluviale of Marseille-Fos, that makes routing via Marseille the shortest alternative green route to the northern range ports, saving five days of sea transit!

A collective effort, a winning combo

The port's promotional activities have been bearing fruit for several years now with, for example, the launch of a rail shuttle to Switzerland. When Provence Promotion joined VMF in 2018, the move helped transform the collective effort to maximize synergies. Holding joint meetings at trade fairs makes it possible to convey a unified message about opportunities in the region.

"When we meet foreigners, the first thing they know about Marseille is that it is a major seaport, but they are not aware of the region's other assets that could be of benefit to their projects. In 2021, Provence Promotion assisted 14 relocation projects with close ties to the port. They account for 400 jobs. Five of them relate to logistics (Alainé, Log-SMC, Fresnel Foods, etc.). The Taiwanese shipowner Yang Ming has chosen to set up its own business, and the British consultancy Alegrant has opened its French subsidiary in Marseille," notes Philippe Stéfanini, general manager of Provence Promotion and a VMF director. The Turkish group Getir is currently drawing up a similar strategy in France, developing last-mile delivery operations with Fos as its logistics base.

Provence Promotion and Via Marseille Fos renewed their partnership agreement for 2022. Joint actions will be carried out during roadshows and international fairs such as Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Breakbulk in Rotterdam, PGLC in Barcelona and Fruit Attraction in Madrid. Delegations of forwarders and manufacturers will also be hosted jointly throughout the region.