Bursa Technical University is launching a significant project in the field of blue economy. A Blue Port Index will be created to assess Black Sea ports in terms of sustainability.

Bursa Technical University (BTU) is implementing a significant project that will examine the ports of Black Sea Economic Cooperation countries in terms of sustainability.

The main objective of this project is to create a Blue Port Index using data collected from countries representing Black Sea ports. BTU’s project, titled “Blue Port Index for BSEC Countries,” has been approved by the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC). The project is the first project in Türkiye to be accepted under the leadership of BTU and is led by Prof. Dr. Gökçe Çiçek Ceyhun, a faculty member in the Faculty of Maritime Studies. The project team includes Prof. Dr. Hilal Yıldırır Keser, a faculty member in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; Dr. Oya Güler, Project Support Office Coordinator; and Lecturer Melis Ece Özyiğit.

Additionally, the project’s international stakeholders include Burgas Free University, Bulgaria, and the Georgian Tourism Institute. This international collaboration aims to increase ports’ contribution to the blue economy and promote sustainable maritime practices. The project aims to compare three ports from three representative Black Sea countries in terms of criteria such as environmental sustainability, infrastructure, digitalization, and green transformation. The resulting data will pave the way for the development of scientific policies that will support regional development. BTU Rector Prof. Dr. Naci Çağlar emphasized the importance of the project, emphasizing that this work will make significant contributions at the international level.