Port of Tyne has become the first port in the UK to be awarded the ISO 44001:2017 accreditation, demonstrating the outstanding levels of collaboration and excellence being achieved for our customers.

Developing collaborative business relationships is a key element within the Port of Tyne’s vision be the UK's safest, most progressive customer-focused and environmentally sustainable port. ISO 44001 will deliver a wide range of benefits to enhance competitiveness and performance and the accreditation represents the Port of Tyne successfully meeting one of its key Tyne 2050 strategy milestones. 

ISO 44001:2017 is the latest International Standard for Collaborative Working and represents a new generation of international accreditation. It emphasises the behaviours, organisational culture and management processes required to take commercial organisations way beyond delivering contractual obligations to foster sustainable, strategic business relationships and harness the benefits of collaborative working for all parties.

“Gaining the ISO 44001 certification is a landmark achievement and being the first UK port to do so is the strongest evidence possible to demonstrate that our commercial relationships with customers are truly collaborative.  This is already adding real value to our customers and their business.” says Matt Beeton, CEO at the Port of Tyne.

According to the ISO 44001 framework, collaboration between organisations may take many forms, from loose tactical approaches through to longer term alliances or joint ventures. ISO 44001 does not enforce a single rigid approach and recognises that every relationship has unique considerations. At the Port of Tyne, the emphasis is being placed on moving beyond tactical operational relationships to creating strategic and highly forward-thinking customer alliances. In doing do, the port will significantly increase rates of innovation, differentiation and enhance the customer value offered.

Mark Gibbens, Head of Logistics at Drax who participated in the port’s ISO 44001 Joint Relationship Management Plan said, “Drax has benefited greatly from a long working partnership with the Port of Tyne and in the last decade this involved developing innovative biomass handling facilities to support business growth and decarbonisation. This could only have been achieved with the open minded and pro-active manner in which the port has embraced working with Drax and both parties continue to strive for operational excellence.”