Government & Public,  Transport and Mobility

HPA: Intelligence, not size – port seeks new path to growth

HPA - Hamburger Hafen
  • The «Stars2Road» methodology ensures idea generation in an open, creative environment.
  • Consistent focus on user needs and on benefits for HPA.
  • Feasibility studies ensures that the ideas are technically feasible.

The Hamburg Port Authority wished to explore ideas for using the internet of things to make the port smarter and more efficient. Zühlke provided the innovation methodology and technical expertise.

Strategic Initiative smartPORT logistics 2025

The Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) is the body responsible for port infrastructure in Hamburg. The HPA’s smartPORT logistics 2025 strategic initiative was launched with the aim of delivering significant long-term value added for the port. Given that the port is not able to expand in size, this is a challenging task. As the authority’s innovation partner for connected products, Zühlke, was tasked with developing ideas for using the port infrastructure more intelligently and efficiently by exploiting the opportunities presented by the internet of things.

Agile process to generate new ideas

Zühlke implemented the project using its in-house «Stars2Road» innovation methodology. Using an agile process, an interdisciplinary HPA/Zühlke team generated new ideas, which were then refined into project charters over short, iterative cycles. An evaluation framework developed on the basis of HPA’s strategic objectives helped to ensure that the ideas would offer genuine economic benefit. In a parallel process, a Zühlke team undertook feasibility studies to ensure that the ideas produced were technically feasible.

The process rapidly delivered more than 70 ideas, which were then boiled down to 9 specific technically feasible project ideas. The process was enhanced by ongoing feedback. Two of these ideas were then selected and work begun on implementing them in time for the IAPH conference.