The Port of Antwerp-Bruges

Originally aired September 21, 2023

Co-hosted by GWU’s Environmental and Energy Management Institute, the Atlantic Council, and the Security and Sustainability Forum, this conversation features Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges — the second-largest port in Europe and the largest chemical cluster in the EU.

The discussion explores the port’s role as a transatlantic bridge, its ambitions in energy security for the European continent, and its leadership in driving the green transition — from green hydrogen to sustainable shipping and industrial decarbonization.

Speakers

Jacques Vandermeiren

CEO, Port of Antwerp-Bruges

Jacques Vandermeiren has served as CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges since 2016. With a long career in the Belgian energy sector, he is a pioneer and proponent of sustainability and energy transition. Under his leadership, the port — the second-largest in Europe and the EU’s largest chemical cluster — has become a catalyst for the green transition and transatlantic energy cooperation.

András Simonyi

Former Ambassador of Hungary to the United States; Managing Director, Center for Transatlantic Relations, SAIS Johns Hopkins University

András Simonyi served as Hungary’s Ambassador to the United States and to NATO. He is the former Managing Director of the Center for Transatlantic Relations at SAIS Johns Hopkins University and a leading voice on transatlantic security, energy policy, and sustainability.

Edward Saltzberg

Executive Director, Security & Sustainability Forum

Ed Saltzberg is the Executive Director of the Security and Sustainability Forum, where he leads conversations with global leaders on the intersection of environmental sustainability, security, and long-term resilience.