Pioneering digitalisation at the Port of Kiel
Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) is to fund the creation and operation of a digital test field in the Kiel seaport.
As part of the D-TECH-BASE project, port terminals for RoRo traffic will become test fields for the new 5G terminal communication and traffic control for the first time.
The €1.75 million project focuses on the Ostuferhafen and Schwedenkai ports and will run until the end of June 2024. “With the support of the BMVI, we will further develop innovative solutions in process optimisation and networking within the framework of DigiTest,” said Dr Dirk Claus, managing director at the Port of Kiel.
The new test field will comprise a 5G-campus network for fast data transmission, together with modern information and communication infrastructure.
Within the terminals, tagless optical unit tracking will be used and a fleet management system is also planned, which will enable the scheduling of all forklift trucks in real time via Smart Connect.
Other initiatives include smart multimedia screens displaying real-time content imported from the gate operation system which will include gates for rail freight traffic for the first time, and new cameras with optical character recognition.
“The complexity of our RoRo terminals offers ideal conditions for a digital test field in which the future-oriented 5G infrastructure can be established under real conditions,” said Dr Claus.
“A blueprint for innovative solutions is being created in Kiel and makes the port particularly interesting as an employer for IT specialists,” he added.
The port is also involved in the Förde 5G project which seeks to develop IT systems to manage tracking, cargo handling and IT security on an industrial scale.
