The dean of the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Llorenç Huguet, and the president of the Balearic Islands' Port Authority (APB), Joan Gual de Torrella, have signed an agreement to study the impact of cruise tourism in Palma through the installation of a network of pollution and noise sensors. This collaboration is part of the Framework Convention in force between both institutions for years now and will be carried out through the Balearic Islands University-Business Foundation.

According to the agreement, the University will give technical support for the installation of a network of pollution and noise measuring instruments. The data provided by the network about the activities carried out at the ports of general interest of the Balearic Islands will be analysed by a UIB research team formed by the doctors Bartolomé Alorda, member of the group of Electronic Systems of the Physics Department; Víctor Homar, member of the group of Meteorology of the Physics Department; and Mauricio Ruiz, director of the Service of Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing.

This team, together with the APB, will elaborate the technical report preceding the installation of a network of sensors at Palma's, Alcudia's, Ibiza's, La Savina's and Mahon's ports. It will also follow the study process of the offers submitted by the installation companies at Palma's Port and will analyse the data collected. The main aim is to correlate the levels of pollutants and the level of noise pollution with the activity generated at the port and at the transition threshold with the city. The results will be evaluated for 12 months from the validation of the installation of the network of sensors.

The president of the APB, Joan Gual de Torrella, has highlighted that although Palma has been receiving cruise tourists for more than 30 years, "we are currently living a successful moment, so it is important to identify the possible problems that may arise in order to solve them as soon as possible. The cruise industry is considered a wealth producing sector in our society".

As for the dean of the UIB, Llorenç Huguet, he has expressed his gratitude for the collaboration with the Port Authority "in a project of multidisciplinary research to analyse the importance and impact of this economic activities, without forgetting the environmental impact and, on the basis of knowledge, to diminish their less favourable effects".