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Digitisation of Russian port and logistics sector on the rise

THE Port of Hamburg, the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce and the German business Eastern-Europe Association have met to discuss port and logistics digitisation with a view to forging a deal with Admiral Makarov University for Sea and Inland Waterway Shipping.

Hamburg's Mayor Olaf Scholz stressed that despite the current strained relations between Russia and Europe, the Port of Hamburg has "once again developed positively".

The advantages of digitisation for the port and logistics sector were explained to the Russian delegates. Taking the Port of Hamburg and its transport and logistics companies as an example, Lutz Birke from Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) presented the "SmartPORT" project.

Mr Birke explained that HPA began early, not only to develop innovative projects, but also to test them in everyday working conditions at the port, and then implement them long-term.

Since 2013, some 30 SmartPORT projects have been realised that have improved freight and traffic flow.

To ensure a highly-qualified upcoming generation for the port and logistics sectors, educational institutions such as universities of applied science and the maritime-oriented Admiral Makarov State University in St Petersburg are really important cornerstones.

"We are promoting interaction and transfer of know-how between Hamburg and St Petersburg, said Hamburg representative Natalia Kapkajewa.

"The good, long cooperation between the two port cities is an excellent basis for organising future workshops on the topics of logistics, the environment and IT. By presenting worthwhile best practice examples from Hamburg," she said.