Port cities at a crossroads: Liverpool and Hamilton collaborate on sustainable solutions for marine transport
Liverpool, England and Hamilton, Ontario are more than 5,000 kilometres apart but well connected through a shared focus on their futures as port cities. McMaster University welcomed faculty from the University of Liverpool to campus from March 24 to 26 for a series of events that culminated in a workshop called Supply Chain Opportunities in Port Cities: Lessons for Liverpool and Hamilton. The meetings mirrored a similar visit by McMaster representatives to Liverpool in September 2024.
The workshop was organized by the McMaster Institute for Transportation & Logistics (MITL), which has been partnering with the University of Liverpool for over a year to investigate shared marine transport challenges. The initiative is part of a broader Global Partnership Fund & BBSRC International Partnership Fund between University of Liverpool and McMaster University, supporting joint research in transport decarbonization and next-generation port-city hinterland development.
“The collaboration focuses on sustainable port operations and the broader economic regions they support, especially in an era when climate and trade challenges are reshaping global logistics,” says Moataz Mohamed, Director of MITL, Associate Professor in the department of Civil Engineering at McMaster and lead organizer of the event.
Over the course of the Liverpool delegation’s three-day visit, faculty participated in four events designed to foster knowledge exchange and joint problem-solving — a workshop, two seminars and a joint Port of Hamilton visit. The group aimed to deepen mutual understanding of the shared challenges and opportunities in port operations and regional transportation networks.
Shared challenges, shared solutions
The March 26 workshop tackled a wide range of topics centered on the decarbonization of supply chains in port ecosystems. Attendees included academic researchers, logistics experts, government representatives and industry stakeholders from both Canada and the UK.
Key themes included alternative fuel adoption, infrastructure limitations, the need for government support and the importance of international partnerships. The Port of Hamilton and the Port of Liverpool served as focal points for comparison, with participants exchanging ideas on how both cities can build more resilient and environmentally responsible supply chains.
Much of the discussion emphasized the importance of collaboration across sectors, from industry and government to academia. Universities, including McMaster and the University of Liverpool, were recognized as vital resources for applied research and convening power. Speakers also explored the complexities of fuel transition, with a call for greater consideration of transitional solutions like biofuels and renewable natural gas, which offer practical benefits today while laying the groundwork for longer-term innovations like hydrogen and ammonia.
The concept of “Green Corridors”—dedicated low-emission shipping routes—was examined as a framework for innovation, with the Liverpool-Belfast corridor serving as a model that could potentially be adapted to a transatlantic partnership between Liverpool and Hamilton. Discussions also stressed the critical need for investment in multimodal infrastructure, better integration of rail and marine transport and equitable financial incentives to support firms of varying size and capacity. Technology, including AI and automation, was seen as a key enabler of smarter and more sustainable goods movement.
“As global trade adapts to new energy demands and geopolitical realities, collaborative efforts like these are crucial to building the port cities of tomorrow,” says Mohamed.
About MITL: Driving research, education and innovation
Founded in 2007, MITL is a hub for multi-disciplinary, applied research in transportation and logistics. Its mission is to accelerate innovation, build public-private partnerships and train the next generation of leaders in the field. Through research, education and outreach, MITL brings together stakeholders to develop evidence-based strategies for improving the movement of goods and people.
For more information about MITL and its initiatives, visit http://www.mitl.mcmaster.ca.
