Fintraffic’s Vessel Traffic Services and the Lübeck Port Authority have signed a service agreement for the Fintraffic POLO Port Activity port application. Port of Lübeck will start using the application in the beginning of next year. The port is particularly known as a busy hub for Scandinavian and Central European freight transport.
Fintraffic and the Lübeck Port Authority have launched a new collaboration to strengthen the strategic operations of Lübeck’s port. This partnership focuses on expanding the situational awareness available to the port authority and improving various port operations through digitalisation.
“Fintraffic is excited to welcome the Port of Lübeck, a key Baltic Sea port, as a new client of our POLO Port Activity service. Expanding this service to Germany marks a significant step in promoting efficient and eco-friendly maritime transport across the Baltic Sea region. The collaboration is off to a strong start, and the service, designed to enhance port operations, will be gradually introduced at the Port of Lübeck starting early next year,” says Jouni Patrakka, Director of Fintraffic’s Vessel Traffic Services.
Fintraffic’s POLO Port Activity service is designed as an open ecosystem, allowing ports to tailor and expand the service based on their specific needs. This flexibility enables ports to integrate and customize the service to enhance their operations effectively. Service offers a range of features, including real-time ship arrival and departure times, emission calculations, quay and resource planning, EU ship notifications, invoicing tools, and options for requesting tugs, pilots, water, and waste management. These tools support ports in streamlining operations and promoting sustainable practices.
Focus on real-time and targeted information for the growing needs of port authorities
‘"As our operational management and planning tool, POLO Port Activity will allow us to develop the operations and increase the efficiency using real-time vessel and port data. Port of Lübeck and its actors will be able to form a comprehensive situational picture and to act in a faster, more flexible and more reliable manner. The service also improves data integration, reduces the chance of errors and speeds up reaction times when changes are needed, which creates a basis for reliable and accurate decision-making in traffic control," Guido Kaschel, Head of Lübeck Port Authority, summarises.
The Port of Lübeck is a part of the European Union’s TEN-T core network (Trans-European Transport Network), which underlines its importance in the Pan-European traffic system. This network supports multi-modal transport solutions, combining sea traffic with rail traffic and road networks. The Port of Lübeck also plays an important role in merchant shipping in the Baltic Sea and in Scandinavia in particular: Lübeck is a major European transhipment and distribution centre for Scandinavian paper industry products, while at the same time serving as an important connecting hub for freight transport between Scandinavia and Germany.
Fintraffic’s POLO Port Activity service has been chosen by the Lübeck Port Authority through a competitive tender process held earlier this year. The decision was influenced by the comprehensive features offered by POLO Port Activity in a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, which best aligned with Lübeck’s goals for digitalization and operational improvement. Service supports a range of essential functions, including quay planning, shared situational awareness, stakeholder communication, service orders, map-based situational updates, warnings, and reporting capabilities. The delivery project is already underway, with a target to launch the full-service platform at the Port of Lübeck in the beginning of 2025, supporting smooth and efficient port operations.
Fintraffic's POLO Port Activity is a part of Fintraffic’s Vessel Traffic Services' ecosystem work. Goal is to improve co-operation and overall efficiency of the maritime traffic and logistics in Baltic Sea region by data exchange and common situational awareness. Development is done in close collaboration with maritime actors and logistic chains in all Baltic Sea countries.
