Dr. Laima Gerlitz and Elizaveta Diatlova from the European Project Center of Hochschule Wismar attended together with other partners of the project DigiTechPort2030 on 18th and 19th march the Transport Week 2025 in Gdynia, Poland. The event aimed to enhance knowledge on key perspectives and initiatives in the transport sector, focusing on investment strategies in ports, shore-power solutions, and digital twin technologies.
The first day featured presentations from distinguished speakers across various countries, all experts in the maritime sector. Attendees had the opportunity to gain insights from transport strategists, maritime professors, cybersecurity experts, and port development managers. The session provided valuable knowledge and perspectives, followed by a networking opportunity for participants. A key objective of the DigiTechPort2030 partnership was to promote the project and its Digital Map, aiming to attract more respondents—such as ports and port authorities—to participate in surveys. This effort seeks to gather unique, authentic insights on improving conditions in small and medium-sized ports in the South Baltic and Baltic Sea regions. Additionally, DigiTechPort2030 partners held a meeting to discuss outstanding issues and collaborate on effective solutions.
The second day featured further presentations, including topics such as shore-side power for container vessels and practical approaches to port electrification, delivered by prominent industry speakers. A key highlight was a discussion panel on port operation's electrification, where DigiTechPort2030 representative Prof. Dr. Lawrence Henesey delivered a speech. Later in the day, a joint presentation round showcased three major projects: Blue Supply Chain, DecoInter, and DigiTechPort2030. This session allowed for the promotion of innovative maritime initiatives and collaborations.
To conclude the event, participants visited the Gdynia Container Terminal via bus, where they observed the transshipment of cargo containers between various transport vehicles, gaining firsthand insights into port logistics and operations. Overall, Transport Week 2025 provided a valuable platform for learning, networking, and promoting DigiTechPort2030’s vision for the future of small and medium-sized ports in the Baltic region.
In the Southern Baltic Area (SBA), most ports are classified as Small and Medium Sized Ports (SMSPs), which have greater barriers to start green transition compared to large ports due to lower financial capacity, lack of human resources and lower policy support. Nevertheless, they are equally affected by European environmental targets and legislation. Therefore, it is necessary to support SMSPs in their green transition and decarbonisation. For this reason, the project aims at providing access to missing knowledge on green transition and decarbonisation for such ports by developing and deploying two solutions by the end of 2026.