The kick-off meeting for our new ITEA4 project took place in Germany from 25-27 March 2024, with all project partners in attendance. This project is a continuation of the I2PANEMA project, with which we collaborated in our previous project and received an exceptional excellence award in September 2023. (https://itea4.org/press-release/press-release-i2panemas-iot-software-solution-optimises-efficiency-and-sustainability-in-ports.html)
The recent crises (COVID 19, Ukraine war, summer 2022 dryness with low water levels of rivers inhibiting ship transport, Suez channel obstruction, North Sea ship traffic jam/backlog) have demonstrated the importance of ensuring the resilience of the supply chain and its logistics processes and reinforced the need of logistics industry to permanently optimize these processes for remaining competitive at global level. Their digitization represents a promising means for this, together with the use of suitable data driven analysis algorithms to boost corresponding data economy business models.
The power of such analysis algorithms could not be unleashed to its full extent as of today: E.g., for instrumenting these algorithms, an appropriate volume of data is required, but the data owners are currently still quite reluctant to provide their data for such purposes, because they
• fear the loss of control over their data,
• experience lack of fairness in data sharing, or
• are confronted with un-balanced business models inhibiting to benefit from their data.
Additional challenges are how to create trust among data providers and users, to ensure data sovereignty and to make smooth data interoperability possible in multi-stakeholder environments.
This was the motivation for the foundation of the Gaia-X/IDS initiatives, pioneering and creating data spaces in various industrial sectors addressing the described challenges.
A central objective of the Optimal-LOADS project is to populate the Gaia-X/IDS Reference Architecture (RA) with real SW components in the multi-modal logistics supply chain data space, to pioneer the emerging Gaia-X/IDS data economy infrastructure services (a. o., the GXFS) for this data space, and to align it with the emerging Mobility Data Space (MDS).
In bringing suitable AI based data economy provisions to optimize and further digitize the processes of the logistics sector, international SW standards for the sovereign exchange of data between the stakeholders of such industry applications are intended to be pushed and be deployed in a cross-country demonstrator.
While providing the Logistics Data Space, Gaia-X-based connector components and tool support for developing core Gaia-X infrastructure components such as GXFS, self-descriptions, identity management, etc. tuned to the logistics sector, are planned to be developed, parallel to compiling best practices in making the creation of data spaces easy, which will contribute to
VTEK will bring its Marine Integrated Affiliation (MIA) platform for national use case in Türkiye for the Project. VTEK also gives its contribution in integration and test phase with one of the Turkish Port. Project is aimed to be completed in 3 years.
The Director of VTEK, Bulent Akova, highlights that, “The MIA platform that is planned to be used and improved in the project is a cutting-edge public-private data collaboration and exchange system. Its primary purpose is to streamline and optimize the intricate business processes within ports by facilitating seamless communication and data exchange among various systems and stakeholders involved in port call procedures. VTEK is committed to enhance its capacities for development and implementation of new technologies in maritime domain as a part of its Smart Port Concept by incorporating with Port Operators, R&D Organizations and Industry Partners. As a part of this commitment, Optimal-LOADS project will help us to leverage our R&D capabilities and emphasize a customer-centric approach by focusing on the needs, goals, and experiences of end-users in port domain which is in the heart of multi-modal logistics supply and transport chains. We aim to ensure that Optimal-LOADS project shall deliver solutions that are relevant, usable, and valuable to the target audience. Overall, we are keen on to participate such R&D projects as they provide clarity, guidance, and structure throughout the project lifecycle, ultimately contributing to the successful development and implementation of our innovative solutions. “
To learn more and discuss further, we cordially invite you to schedule a meeting at your convenience. Please use our intuitive calendar below to select a time that best fits your schedule, and we look forward to exploring new possibilities with you!
Ports around the world face numerous challenges, from managing increased cargo demand to ensuring efficiency and sustainability in the face of urbanisation and labour management issues. The ITEA project I²PANEMA, comprising 17 partners from Germany, Spain and Türkiye, has integrated IoT solutions and new services for data handling in ports to enhance efficiency, sustainability and supply chain resilience in various port business cases. With a focus on data management and analysis, the project has achieved remarkable outcomes, including noise reduction, container localisation and logbook digitalisation. By leveraging IoT, I²PANEMA is revolutionising port operations. Today, I²PANEMA is announced as the winner of the ITEA Award 2023 for Exceptional Excellence, outstanding in the three categories of innovation, business impact and standardisation.
Improving business and lives in port cities
I²PANEMA has demonstrated that ferry arrival times in Hamburg can be accurately predicted to within 15 seconds, which has resulted in a 100% reduction in average processing time for stop announcements. In the Assan port in Türkiye, sensor-based container localisation has enhanced operations by over 10% in a single shift, with completion time reduced by more than 15% and accidents decreased by more than 50%, boosting both profitability and safety. Accurate prediction of PM10 emissions in Gijón Port has been demonstrated with 100% reduction in average processing time for environmental alerts and emergency protocol activation.
An added benefit of this operational and commercial success is the reduction in pollution and noise, making port cities even more pleasant to live in.
“In the I²PANEMA project, we integrated many functions into our new-era I-VPORT TOS solution that will contribute to the port processes. This is due to the instant detection of the locations of the cargoes (containers and/or vehicles) in the port with 50cm precision. It has not only increased efficiency in the port but has also brought us new customers.”
Standardising and enhancing port operations
In developing an IoT port reference architecture tailored for operational use in ports, the I²PANEMA project enhances the robustness of transport chains and establishes a strong communication infrastructure for IoT applications. Account was also taken on data security and the integration of heterogeneous IT systems since these are critical factors for the success of smart ports. The communication infrastructure provided by I²PANEMA is instrumental in helping ports more easily adopt and utilise IoT applications, thereby enhancing efficiency, sustainability and overall operations.
The project partners are currently finalising the new ISO standard 4891: Smart Applications for Ships. Once approved, the new standard will provide a common framework and guidelines for the development and integration of smart applications, enabling efficient communication and data exchange between different systems. By adopting a customer-centric approach, ISO 4891 is designed to meet the needs of users and promote digital transformation in the maritime industry.
5 companies of Kocaeli, which managed to enter the Turkey 100 list, which includes the fastest growing companies in our country, were presented their awards at a ceremony held at the Kocaeli Chamber of Commerce.
Turkey’s fastest growing 100 companies competition, which was held under the leadership of TOBB, the umbrella organization of 365 Chambers and Exchanges, including Kocaeli Chamber of Commerce, and in cooperation with TEPAV, taking into account the 2-year turnover increase of the applicant companies between 2015 and 2017, has been concluded. was in the top 100.
Being the pride of both Turkey and Kocaeli with its growth performances, CDS Robotik Automation Software Electric Engineering Construction Industry and Trade Ltd. Sti., VTEK Information and Communication Technologies Industry and Trade Ltd. Sti., ROK Teknik Metal Machinery and Mold Industry Trade Ltd. Sti., SAMM Technology Communication Industry and Trade Inc. and BEŞUZZİ Food Tourism Animal Husbandry Construction Industry Trade Ltd. Sti. He was awarded at the ceremony held at Kocaeli Chamber of Commerce.
The ceremony, organized in cooperation with Kocaeli Chamber of Commerce and Gebze Chamber of Commerce, will be hosted by Kocaeli Chamber of Commerce President Necmi Bulut, together with Assembly Speaker Akın Doğan, Board of Directors and Assembly Members; Gebze Chamber of Commerce President Nail Çiler, Provincial Director of Commerce Veysi Uzunkaya, Science, Industry and Technology Provincial Director İlhan Aydın, awarded companies CDS Robotic Automation Company Representative Cihan Şahin, On behalf of VTEK Information and Communication Company Bülent Akova, Doğan Kuşçu, on behalf of ROK Teknik Company Ahmet Oklu, Ergin Oklu, Murat Atilla on behalf of SAMM Teknoloji and Çetin Vuraloğlu on behalf of Beşüzzi Gıda.
PRESIDENT BULUT: AS KOTO, WE ARE ALWAYS BEHIND YOU
In his speech at the ceremony, Kocaeli Chamber of Commerce President Necmi Bulut said, “There is a contraction in the world economy, but good things are happening in Kocaeli. I would like to thank our companies that ranked in Türkiye 100 with their own efforts. I would like to thank them for showing the power of Kocaeli in the commercial field on such an important platform and at the top. I want to express that as KOTO, we will always be by their side.” Gebze Chamber of Commerce President Nail Çiler said, “Kocaeli is in the super league in Turkey today. Only in my region, Gebze, exports are around 9 billion dollars. We must not forget this power. We must take advantage of these blessings. May God provide exports to the whole country like Kocaeli.” The representatives of the award-winning companies, thanking Kocaeli Chamber of Commerce and Gebze Chamber of Commerce for the ceremony, gave the message, “We will continue to carry our Kocaeli higher with your support and motivation.”
VTEK is selected as business partner of, I2PANEMA (Intelligent, IoT-based Port Artefacts Communication, Administration and Maintenance) project funded by EU/TUBİTAK started in January 2019 which bring 33 stakeholders from EU domain including ports (The Port of Oulu/Finland, Hamburg Port Authority/Germany, Port of Le Havre/France, Federation of German Inland Ports, Gijón Port Authority/Spain, Assan Port/Turkey, Safiport/Turkey). I2PANEMA project is aiming to deploy the full power of IoT to improve both sea and inland port operations in order to make them more efficient and to make them more sustainable.