The European Commission has launched DataPorts project, aimed to boost the transition of European seaports “from connected and digital to smart and cognitive”, in order to create an even more trusted, reliable and efficient way of conducting businesses in Europe. The DataPorts project aims to create a secure data platform that shares information, not only between port agents, but also with other ports.
With a total budget of €6.7M ($7.3M), the three-year project will receive €5.7M ($6.2M) from the European Union, as part of the Horizon 2020 project.
Coordinated by the Technological Institute of Informatics (ITI) in Spain, DataPorts seeks to provide a secure environment for the aggregation and integration of data coming from the several data sources existing in the digital ports and owned by different stakeholders.
As such, the whole port community could improve their processes, offer new services and devise new AI based and data-driven business models.
To this end, DataPorts will design, implement and operate an Industrial Data Platform (Cognitive Ports Data Platform) that:
- connects to the different digital infrastructures currently existing in digital seaports, enabling the interconnection of a wide variety of systems into a tightly integrated ecosystem,
- sets the policies for a trusted and reliable data sharing and trading based on data owners rules and offering a clear value proposition, and
- leverages on the data collected to provide advanced Data Analytic services based on which the different actors in the port value chain could develop novel AI and cognitive applications.
DataPorts project involves the design and implementation of the platform, its deployment in two relevant European seaports connecting to their existing digital infrastructures, a global use case involving these two ports and other actors and targeting inter-port objectives, and all the actions to foster the adoption of the platform at European level.
In early March, supply chain services provider Traxens joined the new European DataPorts project.
Today’s shippers and related stakeholders are optimizing their supply chains through digital transformation, where real-time data is key.
The availability of door-to-door visibility of the transport execution, with applied AI, and the use of blockchain technology will result in easier integration of reliable, trustworthy, private and secure data in different processes. Information will potentially be shared with the whole of the supply chain (in respect of the data governance rules that protect their competitive advantages), offering greater visibility, real-time tracking, waste reduction, higher security and potentially faster border clearance,
…the company said.
Even today, when seaports have achieved a mature state in terms of digitalisation, there is a clear gap in taking full advantage of digital data assets. A secure and trustworthy platform, able to grant data sharing and trading, opens up many business opportunities. Obviously, it also brings a number of challenges, but DataPorts was designed to provide the means and tools to overcome these, paving the way to creating new business models using its results,
…said Santiago Cáceres, DataPorts coordinator at ITI.
During the 2020 SMART4SEA Athens Forum, Andreas Chrysostomou, Chief Strategy Officer, Tototheo, presented the concept of data sharing platform and the importance of collaboration between all the shipping sectors.
