Celebrating the Port of Tilbury Skills Accelerator pilot

Funded by Thames Freeport Ltd (£100,000)
Plymouth Business School students in orange high-vis and helmets smile at the Port of Tilbury
The University of Plymouth Business School is proud to mark the successful conclusion of the Thames Freeport Skills Accelerator pilot initiative in partnership with SEATS and the Port of Tilbury. 
Delivered by an exceptional team, including Lise Hunter , Chiwuokem Nwoko , George VanDyck , Ben Siu , Andrew Morton, Stephen Childe , Saeyeon Roh , Lijun Tang and Matt Lockett , this cross-disciplinary programme provided cutting-edge training to senior leaders across ports, logistics, and supply chain.
The programme delivered high-impact sessions enhanced by the development of bespoke AI tools to support learning and decision-making across key themes:
  • Sustainable Green Logistics at Ports
  • AI & Prompt Engineering
  • Sustainable Procurement (including ISO20400 & MCDA frameworks)
  • Net Zero Initiatives
  • Innovation Initiative Training using AI tools 
  • Strategic frameworks.
The capstone Innovation Initiative Workshop culminated in the co-creation of the POCA Innovation Model (Planning → Option → Choice → Action) and the development of a prototype AI decision-support tool designed to support strategic management at the Port of Tilbury.
In a powerful endorsement David Housden, Head of Engineering & Procurement at the Port, described the programme as 
“a model of successful academic–industry collaboration” 
and expressed strong interest in deepening ties through future training sessions, hosting PBS student site visits, and exploring research project collaborations.
University staff celebrating successful conclusion of the Thames Freeport Skills Accelerator pilot