FS and MSC Sign MOU to Develop New Terminals for Maritime Intermodal Freight

• A NewCo is born to expand the logistics network for freight transport between ports in Italy and the rest of Europe
• MOU signed in Geneva in the presence of Luigi Ferraris, CEO of FS, and Gianluigi Aponte, Chairman of MSC Group

 

Rome and Geneva, 15 November 2023 – Enhancing intermodality between maritime and rail transport through greater and more effective synergies to expand the logistics network for freight movement to and from Italian and European ports, through a NewCo for the creation of new terminals.

 

This is the main objective of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Geneva by Sabrina De Filippis, CEO of Mercitalia Logistics, the leading company of FS Group’s Logistics Hub, and Giuseppe Prudente, Chief Logistics Officer of MSC and President of MEDLOG, in the presence of Luigi Ferraris, FS Group CEO, and Gianluigi Aponte, Chairman of MSC Group.

 

“The Memorandum signed today, with a major international partner, confirms FS Group’s commitment to becoming a European logistics player,” said Sabrina De Filippis, CEO of Mercitalia Logistics. “The agreement is part of our Industrial Plan, which includes the strengthening of existing terminals and the development of new technologically advanced and environmentally low-impact multimodal hubs. This will enable us to increase the volume of freight transported by rail, thanks also to increasingly efficient connections between our ports and terminals, the national network, and European rail corridors, consolidating the integration of sea-rail-road transport systems.”

 

The agreement foresees the creation of a new company controlled by Mercitalia Logistics (51%) and participated in by MEDLOG (49%), a company within the MSC Group focused on intermodality and logistics, with the aim of designing, building, and managing new freight terminals at the sites of both Groups in Italy.

 

“We strongly believe in the collaboration between our Groups,” commented Giuseppe Prudente, Chief Logistics Officer of MSC Group and President of MEDLOG. “This important agreement stems from a business project born with the ambition to become one of the most important operators in Europe, offering customers optimized and increasingly sustainable logistics solutions. Moreover, it should be noted that reducing long-distance road transport contributes not only to lower emissions but also to greater safety and quality of life for our employees.”

 

The Memorandum follows the one signed by the two companies in September of last year, aimed precisely at assessing the possibility and mutual interest in establishing a commercial and operational partnership project to develop combined maritime transport.

 

This collaboration will therefore create new terminal capacity to support the development of maritime intermodal freight traffic to and from Italian ports, improving service quality and providing a competitive alternative to road transport, including along the Italy–Northern Europe corridor.

 

These initiatives fall within the shared mission of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane and MSC Group to support the development of the Italian economy through the increasing use of rail mobility, a much more environmentally sustainable mode of transport.