CITT, APEC sign agreement to advance logistics training collaboration

Canada’s Logistics Association (CITT) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Antwerp/Flanders Port Training Centre to form a formal industry alliance aimed at advancing training and development for logistics professionals in Canada and Europe.

The Antwerp/Flanders Port Training Centre, known as APEC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

The agreement establishes a foundation for collaboration between the two organizations to develop joint training programs. As those programs are rolled out, they are expected to support greater standardization of practices among cross-Atlantic partners while strengthening relationships between organizations in both regions.

“Canada’s Logistics Association is very excited about our agreement with APEC,” said Pina Melchionna, president and CEO of CITT. “This international alliance comes at a moment when our federal government has emphasized the importance of building stronger relations with our friends in Europe, particularly regarding trade and supply chain. APEC training has a strong reputation, and their commitment to teaching the competencies required to drive competitiveness in modern logistics is admirable.

“We’re tremendously excited about the next phase of our partnership and looking forward to building Canada’s logistics relationship with Europe – beginning with our friends at APEC.”

Kristof Waterschoot, managing director of APEC, said the collaboration will strengthen ties between Canada and Belgium in logistics and port partnerships.

“This collaboration between CITT and APEC will foster the many synergies between Belgium and Canada,” he said. “By joining forces, we not only strengthen the ties between both countries in the area of logistics and port partnerships but also create new opportunities for knowledge exchange around trending topics like energy transition and smart ports.

“We look forward to developing innovative training programs together that will further enrich expertise in the maritime sector. With this agreement, both organizations are taking an important step towards sustainable international cooperation and knowledge sharing within the sector.”

CITT and APEC said they will provide updates as joint training offerings become available.