Smart ports entrepreneurial ecosystem development (SPEED).

With increasing global competitive pressures, Western European ports have to be more efficient or more innovative to remain competitive. Especially in large and complex port environments there are numerous opportunities for efficiency gains in the logistic chain. Simultaneously, new advances in data science and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are starting to enable more efficient ways of communicating and of integrating entire supply chains. In particular high-tech start-ups and SMEs are leading the way in these technological developments. Currently, port environments do not yet fully reap the advantages from data science / IoT technologies, and high-tech start-ups / SMEs often struggle with the professionalization of their technological ideas and business activities. As a result, the performance potential of the Western European ports is hampered, as well as the full development potential of high-tech start-ups and SMEs and their subsequent economic contribution. This project aims to develop and support the growth of a nascent connected port solutions ecosystem backed by data science and IoT technologies. Bottom-up initiatives are forming around this common goal, mainly among maritime logistics players, port authorities and large IT providers. The current objective is to also connect to and develop a community of ambitious data science entrepreneurs (start-ups and SMEs), data science & maritime experts and knowledge centers. As such, the project aims to translate innovations from both technologies into a connected and multi-modal port environment and generate more efficient communication and logistical streams through dedicated data-based solutions. On top of this, the project aims to reap the full business potential of high-tech start-ups and SMEs, professionalize their business activities and increase their overall (international) performance. The project has three main outputs: (1) Mobilizing a network connecting 2 Seas region data science high-tech start-ups and SMEs, data science and maritime experts and knowledge centers, and port stakeholders, to the benefit of the Western European ports and port stakeholders in need of data science solutions, (2) Building a common approach to facilitate the development of data science applications for port logistics problems, to the benefit of the Western European ports and port stakeholders, and (3) Building a common approach to develop and improve the technical value delivering, commercialisation capacities and professionalization of the smart port entrepreneurs and for the adoption of smart port solutions, to the benefit of (internationalizing) high-tech start-ups and SMEs, and port application users.

Keywords:MANAGEMENT OF ENTERPRISES, ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Disciplines:Business administration, Business management, Strategic management

Project type:Collaboration project