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The first five teams have joined startport, the innovation platform of Duisburger Hafen AG
The five logistics teams Aindex.Ruhr, Cargo-Bay, DepotCity, freightpilot and Shippion joined the start-up platform program in March. The young companies have approximately one year to turn their innovative ideas into market-ready logistics products or services. Soon, employees of the Klöckner & Co spin-off XOM will also be using the co-working workstations at startport.
Erich Staake, Chief Executive Officer of Duisburger Hafen AG and initiator of the project: “We are taking an important step towards digitization. The demand proves that our concept is paying off. At the same time, we also need persistence and patience, because this project is not a sprint but rather a marathon.”
The founder teams have moved into one of the floors of the Werhahnmühle in the Duisburg interior port for a period of 12 months (with support from a team of Duisburger Hafen AG). Now the teams submit regular reports about their results - and receive extensive coaching services from partner companies and mentors.
Using this approach, the start-ups are supposed to develop their ideas into market-ready products in Duisburg. Additional teams are expected to join them in the Werhahnmühle by the end of 2018. “We expect a strong commitment and a success-oriented approach. Our support is based on the performance principle. It is not enough to have a good idea; one must also work to implement the idea. So far, we are very satisfied, because our teams are highly motivated,” says Staake.
The innovation platform startport also targets post-secondary students and graduates interested in starting their own companies. The founder teams receive advice from duisport and the logistics professionals at the exclusive startport partners Evonik, Klöckner & Co and Initiativkreis Ruhr.
Cisco, the world's market leader for IT and networks, and IT system vendor Bechtle have joined startport as technology partners. “The strong support from well-known companies in industry confirms that the idea behind startport, namely to bring together start-ups and industry, is the right way to go,” says Staake.
Additional assistance is provided by network/workshop partners such as Fraunhofer IML, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Zentrum für Logistik und Verkehr, Netzwerk DIALogistik Duisburg, consulting company Roland Berger, advertising agency dws, auditors from Ernst & Young, tax advisors from PKF, Deutsche Bank, IDE (Competence Center for Innovation and Start-ups at Universität Duisburg Essen), Instafreight, Digital Hub Logistics, lawyers from Taylor Wessing and Hochschule Rhein-Waal.
Expertise for Big Data and algorithms
The first start-ups at startport are experts for digital Big Data applications. These young companies are at different stages of development. They utilize the attractive work environment in the Werhahnmühle and the free IT infrastructure, and maintain close contacts with the managers, developers and logistics experts at Duisburger Hafen AG. Additional partners are expected to join. The initial discussions are very promising. The support that is offered is continuously optimized through closer relationships with the start-up scene and regional logistics companies, and the provision of additional consultative personnel support for issues such as apartment searches, customer acquisition and public relations activities.
The start-ups at a glance:
Aindex.Ruhr is working on the development of an app designed to guide users to the best possible location. It aims to facilitate the search for the perfect apartment or business location in the Ruhr region, and subsequently in other metropolitan areas. Customers can define their individual priorities. The founders of Aindex have already garnered positive attention: They are the winners of the “#Nextlevelruhr-Hackathon” prize awarded by the RAG foundation.
http://aindex.ruhr/
Cargo-Bay improves the distribution of products of industry, retail and logistics companies and delivers innovative information, management and control options. Through its platform, the company offers more than 1,000 verified freight forwarders in different regions, providing customers with a convenient option to check and compare the freight prices of different providers. Standardized input screens facilitate work processes and reduce errors. At this time, Cargo-Bay already has more than 1,100 customers.
https://cargo-bay.de/
DepotCity digitizes warehouse logistics and makes booking warehouse space and fulfillment as easy as booking a hotel room. This platform provides both professionals and laypersons with the opportunity to purchase professional eCommerce logistics services. All services from storage, packaging and franking to shipping, invoicing and dunning can be booked, and the entire process can be tracked in a transparent manner. The platform brings together seekers and providers of storage space. It also makes it easier for storage space providers to generate attractive additional business.
https://depotcity.de/
Freightpilot moves route scheduling into the Cloud with its own software platform. Companies that are currently working with their own, expensive or inefficient route scheduling system can now outsource this function for a competitively-priced monthly fee. The platform offers fully-automated route scheduling across the boundaries of the various senders. For example, two companies that supply the same customer can now share the trip to that customer. The software solution uses artificial intelligence to develop a route schedule on a fully automated basis, and forwards it directly to the suppliers. This creates synergy effects for all participants and reduces the traffic volume and the driving time of trucks and other transport vehicles.
https://www.freightpilot.de/de/platform
Shippion brings transparency to the freight market. Until now, the process has been as follows: Large freight companies invite tenders, and smaller ones have to ask several freight forwarders for each shipment. Also, there is no uniform, efficient and rapid billing system. This increases costs and reduces profits. Shippion wants to fundamentally simplify freight shipments and offer an automated market place. Shippion automates freight calculation processes and simplifies freight shipments for exports and logistics services providers.
http://www.shippion.com/
Other facts and figures
Managing Director: Peter Trapp
Werhahnmühle in the Duisburg interior port.
5th floor, Loft
550 m2 of office space
14 workstations for start-ups
2 conference rooms
Open kitchen, meeting points, tabletop soccer
Excellent transport connection:
From central train station: 14 min by bus, 18 min by foot, 5 min by bicycle
By car, via the A40, or A42 to the A59, three minutes from Exit
Move-in date for the five selected start-ups: 16 March 2018
Duration: 12 months of use, mentoring, PR and coaching
Offer for start-ups:
12 months office space in an attractive and representative location
Support in the form of on-site mentoring with professional workshops and events, assessment and reflection of the corporate development of the various start-ups
Access to the networks of potential customers, project partners, investors from industry and the logistics sector
Access to logiscs assets, collaboration in sub-projects
Networking, acquisition of potential investors
Promotion of media attention with in-house PR agency
Download press release
Download press packThe first five teams have joined startport, the innovation platform of Duisburger Hafen AG
The five logistics teams Aindex.Ruhr, Cargo-Bay, DepotCity, freightpilot and Shippion joined the start-up platform program in March. The young companies have approximately one year to turn their innovative ideas into market-ready logistics products or services. Soon, employees of the Klöckner & Co spin-off XOM will also be using the co-working workstations at startport.
Erich Staake, Chief Executive Officer of Duisburger Hafen AG and initiator of the project: “We are taking an important step towards digitization. The demand proves that our concept is paying off. At the same time, we also need persistence and patience, because this project is not a sprint but rather a marathon.”
The founder teams have moved into one of the floors of the Werhahnmühle in the Duisburg interior port for a period of 12 months (with support from a team of Duisburger Hafen AG). Now the teams submit regular reports about their results - and receive extensive coaching services from partner companies and mentors.
Using this approach, the start-ups are supposed to develop their ideas into market-ready products in Duisburg. Additional teams are expected to join them in the Werhahnmühle by the end of 2018. “We expect a strong commitment and a success-oriented approach. Our support is based on the performance principle. It is not enough to have a good idea; one must also work to implement the idea. So far, we are very satisfied, because our teams are highly motivated,” says Staake.
The innovation platform startport also targets post-secondary students and graduates interested in starting their own companies. The founder teams receive advice from duisport and the logistics professionals at the exclusive startport partners Evonik, Klöckner & Co and Initiativkreis Ruhr.
Cisco, the world's market leader for IT and networks, and IT system vendor Bechtle have joined startport as technology partners. “The strong support from well-known companies in industry confirms that the idea behind startport, namely to bring together start-ups and industry, is the right way to go,” says Staake.
Additional assistance is provided by network/workshop partners such as Fraunhofer IML, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Zentrum für Logistik und Verkehr, Netzwerk DIALogistik Duisburg, consulting company Roland Berger, advertising agency dws, auditors from Ernst & Young, tax advisors from PKF, Deutsche Bank, IDE (Competence Center for Innovation and Start-ups at Universität Duisburg Essen), Instafreight, Digital Hub Logistics, lawyers from Taylor Wessing and Hochschule Rhein-Waal.
Expertise for Big Data and algorithms
The first start-ups at startport are experts for digital Big Data applications. These young companies are at different stages of development. They utilize the attractive work environment in the Werhahnmühle and the free IT infrastructure, and maintain close contacts with the managers, developers and logistics experts at Duisburger Hafen AG. Additional partners are expected to join. The initial discussions are very promising. The support that is offered is continuously optimized through closer relationships with the start-up scene and regional logistics companies, and the provision of additional consultative personnel support for issues such as apartment searches, customer acquisition and public relations activities.
The start-ups at a glance:
Aindex.Ruhr is working on the development of an app designed to guide users to the best possible location. It aims to facilitate the search for the perfect apartment or business location in the Ruhr region, and subsequently in other metropolitan areas. Customers can define their individual priorities. The founders of Aindex have already garnered positive attention: They are the winners of the “#Nextlevelruhr-Hackathon” prize awarded by the RAG foundation.
http://aindex.ruhr/
Cargo-Bay improves the distribution of products of industry, retail and logistics companies and delivers innovative information, management and control options. Through its platform, the company offers more than 1,000 verified freight forwarders in different regions, providing customers with a convenient option to check and compare the freight prices of different providers. Standardized input screens facilitate work processes and reduce errors. At this time, Cargo-Bay already has more than 1,100 customers.
https://cargo-bay.de/
DepotCity digitizes warehouse logistics and makes booking warehouse space and fulfillment as easy as booking a hotel room. This platform provides both professionals and laypersons with the opportunity to purchase professional eCommerce logistics services. All services from storage, packaging and franking to shipping, invoicing and dunning can be booked, and the entire process can be tracked in a transparent manner. The platform brings together seekers and providers of storage space. It also makes it easier for storage space providers to generate attractive additional business.
https://depotcity.de/
Freightpilot moves route scheduling into the Cloud with its own software platform. Companies that are currently working with their own, expensive or inefficient route scheduling system can now outsource this function for a competitively-priced monthly fee. The platform offers fully-automated route scheduling across the boundaries of the various senders. For example, two companies that supply the same customer can now share the trip to that customer. The software solution uses artificial intelligence to develop a route schedule on a fully automated basis, and forwards it directly to the suppliers. This creates synergy effects for all participants and reduces the traffic volume and the driving time of trucks and other transport vehicles.
https://www.freightpilot.de/de/platform
Shippion brings transparency to the freight market. Until now, the process has been as follows: Large freight companies invite tenders, and smaller ones have to ask several freight forwarders for each shipment. Also, there is no uniform, efficient and rapid billing system. This increases costs and reduces profits. Shippion wants to fundamentally simplify freight shipments and offer an automated market place. Shippion automates freight calculation processes and simplifies freight shipments for exports and logistics services providers.
http://www.shippion.com/
Other facts and figures
Managing Director: Peter Trapp
Werhahnmühle in the Duisburg interior port.
5th floor, Loft
550 m2 of office space
14 workstations for start-ups
2 conference rooms
Open kitchen, meeting points, tabletop soccer
Excellent transport connection:
From central train station: 14 min by bus, 18 min by foot, 5 min by bicycle
By car, via the A40, or A42 to the A59, three minutes from Exit
Move-in date for the five selected start-ups: 16 March 2018
Duration: 12 months of use, mentoring, PR and coaching
Offer for start-ups:
12 months office space in an attractive and representative location
Support in the form of on-site mentoring with professional workshops and events, assessment and reflection of the corporate development of the various start-ups
Access to the networks of potential customers, project partners, investors from industry and the logistics sector
Access to logiscs assets, collaboration in sub-projects
Networking, acquisition of potential investors
Promotion of media attention with in-house PR agency
duisport continues to grow
Erich Staake (Chief Executive Officer) and Prof. Thomas Schlipköther (Member of the Managment Board), Copyright krischerfotografie
In the 2017 financial year, Duisburger Hafen AG (duisport) achieved sales revenues of EUR 250 million. This figure is 9% or EUR 20 million higher than the comparative figure of the previous year (EUR 230 million).
The operating result (EBITDA) improved by 2% to EUR 41 million. The result before taxes increased by 16% to EUR 22 million (2016: EUR 19 million). Erich Staake, Chief Executive Officer of Duisburger Hafen AG: “The steady increase in earnings over the past 20 years is mainly due to our successful national and international network management activities and our ability to establish Duisburg as the main logistics hub in central Europe.”
Review of the three divisions
Of the three duisport divisions, the Infra and Superstructure segment generated revenues of EUR 50.7 million. This represents an increase of 4% compared to the previous year (EUR 48.6 million).
In the Logistic Services division, sales revenues declined by 4% from EUR 78.9 million to EUR 75.8 million following the disposal of participating interests in two smaller companies.
In contrast, the Packing Logistics segment grew by 19% (from EUR 73 million to EUR 87 million) due to the positive capacity utilization in the German machine and equipment building sector.
Investments
In the past financial year, the duisport Group increased investments in fixed assets and financial investments by 42% to EUR 34 million. In addition to investments in infrastructure and suprastructure, a warehouse was also constructed on Duisburg's Mercatorinsel for DB Schenker, a service provider of Daimler AG. In addition, duisport also expanded its current business portfolio with the acquisition of freight forwarder Bohnen Logistik.
Total handling volume
Total handling volumes, including private commercial ports, amounted to 130.6 million tonnes (2016: 133.1 million tonnes). Hence total volumes declined by 1.9%. The ports of the duisport Group accounted for EUR 68.3 million tonnes of the total figure (2016: 66.8 million tonnes), which represents an increase of 2.1%.
Ship handling volumes, which fell from 16.2 to 15.7 million tonnes, reflect the decline in coal handling volumes. The rail traffic segment grew by 6.8% to 18.8 million tonnes compared to the 2016 financial year, mainly as a result of the China trains.
A total of 4.1 million standard containers (TEU) were handled through the ports of the duisport Group. This represents an increase of 11% (2016: 3.7 million TEU).
Major projects in 2017
“startport” innovation platform
In 2017, duisport established the “startport” logistics innovation platform together with partners from industry. The platform offers start-up companies an opportunity to develop innovative logistics solutions. The innovation platform is used by five start-ups at this time. Staake: “Our industrial cores must be connected using high-performance logistics models. startport aims to become an incubator for logistics innovations.”
Automotive Cluster duisport
The Port of Duisburg has become an important Automotive Cluster, as VW and Audi are joined by Daimler AG, which is now also processing its SKD and CKD business for the global production network of the Mercedes-Benz Van division from the Port of Duisburg.
Acquisition of Bohnen Logistik
In December 2017, duisport acquired the freight forwarding company Bohnen Logistik. With its 150 employees, Bohnen Logistik recently generated annual sales revenues of EUR 25 million. Staake: “Bohnen Logistik’s activities are an ideal complement to our current product portfolio.”
Regional infrastructure projects
The logport V site in Oberhausen is currently being developed by logport ruhr GmbH, a joint venture of duisport and RAG Montan Immobilien GmbH. Edeka e.G. is building a logistics center on the site. Approximately 1,000 new workplaces are expected to be created on the 30 hectare plot of a former RAG coal handling site.
dev.log, a joint venture of Evonik and duisport, is developing the 50 hectare plot in Niederkassel-Lülsdorf for logistics and production companies. The site development planning process for the first 20 hectare section is expected to be completed during the course of this year.
In Duisburg-Walsum, logport VI is in the process of being created on the 40 hectare site of a former paper factory. duisport is building a container terminal on the trimodal connected site directly on the Rhine. The land is expected to be available for new construction by the end of 2019 at the latest. Staake: We are confident that this site will create significantly more workplaces than the paper factory.”
duisport will develop additional sites in the Rhine-Ruhr region in the future.
International network along the Silk Road
duisport is expanding its activities along the corridors of the “One belt, One road” Silk Road initiative. Together with Trieste, the largest Italian port on the Adriatic Sea, duisport is investing in rail and trailer freight transportation. The port of Trieste is connected by ship trough the maritime Silk Road from South China via the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea.
Together with China Merchants Logistics, a leading logistics company, projects are being implemented in the entire Eurasian region along the corridors of the Silk Road initiative. In this context, duisport is involved in the construction of the “Great Stone” industrial and logistics park near Minsk (Belarus), which covers more than 90 square kilometers, and a logistics hub near Istanbul.
More than 100,000 TEU were transported via the China trains in the past financial year. duisport expects that the trade with China will continue to grow. The infrastructure measures along the Silk Road and efforts to harmonize customs modalities mean that the travel time between China and duisport can be reduced as a result. This creates additional handling opportunities.
Download press packHead of duisport talks with youth
The port welcomes 80 students from the region, Copyright krischerfotografie
At the event “Dialog mit der Jugend” (Dialog with Youth), Erich Staake, Chief Executive Officer of Duisburger Hafen AG (duisport) answered the questions of approximately 80 students. Initiativkreis Ruhr (IR), of which duisport is a member, launched the “Dialog mit der Jugend” initiative 20 years ago under the motto “Raus aus den Klassenzimmern, rein in die Unternehmen” (Out of the classrooms into the companies).
Students at Theodor-König-Gesamtschule (Duisburg), Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium (Dinslaken) and Gymnasium an der Wolfskuhle (Essen) had prepared for this talk as part of their lessons and by visiting the port beforehand.
Asked about the training opportunities in the Port of Duisburg, Staake responded: “We offer training for many different occupations. The logistics industry is an exciting sector and offers enormous potential.” And most of those who complete their training are also taken on by the company.
Staake noted that the company's willingness for constant innovation was duisport’s success formula. Therefore he advised the students: “Always maintain a sense of curiosity and courage.”
Download press packInformation for port tourists
Riser on the Ruhrorter Mühlenweide - Copyright duisport_krischerfotografie
The landing place for river cruise ships on the Ruhrorter Mühlenweide now includes information boards for port tourists. duisport installed the riser in the summer of 2016. Now, passengers of the up to 135-meter long river cruise ships can learn about the 300-year history of the Port of Duisburg and sights such as the “Echo of Poseidon”; the information is provided in German and English.
“The port is well known internationally as central Europe's main logistics hub, therefore it is attracting an increasing number of tourists to the city. We inform visitors that Duisburg-Ruhrort is the origin of our port and that we also promote culture in the city in addition to creating workplaces,” says duisport's Chief Executive Officer Erich Staake.
Download press packPlewa joint duisport agency
Peter Plewa
Peter Plewa (51) joined the management team at duisport agency GmbH (dpa), a subsidiary of Duisburger Hafen AG (duisport), at the beginning of the year. Plewa is a business economist who recently served as the Managing Director of Polzug Intermodal GmbH in Hamburg. “We are pleased to welcome rail and intermodal transport expert Peter Plewa to our port team,” says duisport Chief Executive Officer Erich Staake.
Download press packPlewa joint duisport agency
Peter Plewa (51) joined the management team at duisport agency GmbH (dpa), a subsidiary of Duisburger Hafen AG (duisport), at the beginning of the year. Plewa is a business economist who recently served as the Managing Director of Polzug Intermodal GmbH in Hamburg. “We are pleased to welcome rail and intermodal transport expert Peter Plewa to our port team,” says duisport Chief Executive Officer Erich Staake.
duisport still has docking capacities
Copyright Hans Blossey
The shut-down of shipping activities on the Rhine downstream from Cologne due to floodwater has prompted an increasing number of inland water vessels to dock in the Port of Duisburg. At this time, more than 100 vessels are docked at the port, 70 of which came to the port because of the floodwater. “We still have a lot of available capacities. As a designated alternative port, we hold available ample docking space in the event that shipping on the Rhine is restricted due to high or low water levels,” says Erich Staake, Chief Executive Officer of Duisburger Hafen AG (duisport).
Download press pack