What happened

İzmir Development Agency has published an assessment of Marseille’s port landscape, placing it alongside İzmir’s port ecosystem. The work examines how Marseille developed historically, its economic structure and the contribution of port activity to the city’s development.

The agency reviews Marseille Fos Port and the city’s marinas, including their structures, functions and relationships with the urban area. It also considers cruise tourism, the digital transformation of ports and environmental sustainability.

For port-sector professionals in İzmir and other Mediterranean cities, the immediate next step is to examine the comparison for transferable lessons and potential collaboration areas. The agency presents the assessment as input to the continued development of İzmir’s port ecosystem.

Why it matters

Ports have connections to urban economies, visitor activity, infrastructure and environmental management. By comparing Marseille and İzmir, the report sets out where the two systems have common features, where they differ and where cooperation may be possible.

The scope extends beyond cargo-port infrastructure. Its inclusion of marinas and cruise tourism reflects the multiple ways port assets interact with a city, while the focus on digitalisation and sustainability brings operational and environmental considerations into the same review.

İzmir Development Agency says the findings are intended to strengthen mutual learning and cooperation among Mediterranean port cities. The assessment does not set out a new policy or programme in the published announcement, but provides a comparative basis for future consideration.

Report scope

The agency published the assessment on 2 November 2026. Its analysis covers Marseille Fos Port, marina facilities, cruise tourism, port digitalisation and environmental sustainability, against the wider context of Marseille’s history and economy.

Its comparison with İzmir identifies similarities, differences and possible cooperation fields between the two cities. The stated objective is to contribute to improving İzmir’s port ecosystem while expanding opportunities for exchange between Mediterranean port centres.

Source: İzmir Development Agency.