The North Sea 'Golden Corridor's are the river estuaries which contain major ports, significant wealth creation activity and logistics infrastructure. They often have a complex river hinterland and significant river trade linking to the ports. These factors provide both opportunities and challenges for trade and logistics. Many local, regional and port authorities may be stakeholders, together with commercial organisations, which makes governance and partnership a challenge.

Golden Corridors is a project idea which aims to bring together 8-10 ports and hinterland corridors in different EU countries bordiering the North Sea.  Parners will have shared and complementary interests, based on trading activities, logistical challenges and comparable geographical locations.

Golden corridors partners may include several stakeholders  such as port authoriites, local/regional  governament, universities. In each location thier will be a lead partner to coordinate the work.

• Encourage the growth of international trade through the North Sea 'Golden Corridors' by developing policy to encourage trading opportunities and capture trade flows currently using other modes and ports
• Advance logistics policy, investment and development in the Golden Corridors' areas, through developing Knowledge Partnerships to strengthen innovation and Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3)

Theer will be two project workpackages withthe following outputs:

• Trade and Logistics Policy Development. Develop more integrated trade and logistics policies, aiming to influence natioanl and European policy development.
• Regional Kowledge Partnerships for Logistics. Design and develop a new regional Knowledge partnership structure to enhance long term cooperation and regional innovation support capacity after the end of funding, particulalry in line with Smart Specialisation Strategies aimed at facilitiating future growth areas.

The University of Hull is positioned as the Lead Partner in the Humber Estuary, which contains a major ports complex on the East Coast of England. Four local governament organsiations are interested in woirking withthe university as key stakeholders.

8-10 Lead Partners from major ports/corridors bordering the North Sea, with an interst in working together to enhance trade and logictics policy development. Lead partners may recruit local stakeholders to work with them on S3, etc.