The Port of Rotterdam Authority has started a concrete exploration into partnerships with three scale-up maritime companies, after their selection into the annual PortXL innovation programme.
Working in sectors ranging from the monitoring and research of water quality to producing smart insights into the technological performance of shipping operations, these companies together with seven other start-ups and scale-ups were put through the PortXL programme, which attracts innovations from all over the world to Rotterdam, where they can undergo further development.
In the upcoming period, the Port of Rotterdam Authority will be investigating whether these companies can benefit the Dutch port in being safer, more efficient and more sustainable.
The first of them is TechBinder, which was created following a pilot scheme between Damen Shipyards and Schneider Electric. The scale-up enables shipping companies and shipyards to prevent defects and improve vessel performance by delivering insights into the technological performance of shipping operations.
The Port Authority will therefore examine how TechBinder’s products and knowledge can add value to the management and optimisation of its own patrol vessels.
As for Water Insight, it specialises in monitoring and researching water quality. It has also developed its own scanner for collecting local measurements. Hence, the Port of Rotterdam Authority said that together with the scale-up, they will be examining whether it is possible to map sediment dispersal arising from specific dredging technology.
The third company with which Port of Rotterdam intends to collaborate is i4sea, which develops accurate models that forecast the status of tides, currents, waves, wind and precipitation at a hyper-local level and advises about the predicted impact of weather on the operations of terminals and pilots.
In the forthcoming period, it will be conducting a study into whether this information can add value to maritime traffic control, according to a statement.
Launched in 2015, PortXL is the world’s first Port Accelerator with a global network of leading companies and experts, including Van Oord the Port of Rotterdam Authority as main partners, as well as Mammoet, Vopak, Boskalis, Shell and Oceanco among others.
PortXL scouts worldwide for promising start-ups and scale-ups for the green energy, maritime, logistics and process industry. So far, it has run ten programmes, fast-tracked more than 100 companies and facilitated the signing of more than 220 contracts.
