On May 22, 2025, the kick-off event of the “Smartport Transfer” SPorT innovation community took place at the Deutsches Auswandererhaus Bremerhaven, which met with great interest and was a complete success with around 90 participants. The innovation community, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space in the DATIpilot programme, brings together science and business to advance the ports of Bremen through digitalization and automation. The event offered numerous insights into the goals of the community and the funding opportunities for projects.

In close cooperation between the University of Bremen (LogDynamics), the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) and the ports of Bremen, innovative solutions for the optimization of handling processes and the networking of ship and hinterland transport are to be created. BIBA is involved in two SPorT starter projects on this behalf: “SharePort: Resilient Smartport - Dynamic Resource Sharing in Ports for Robust Logistics Chains” and “MobiTrans - Concept for a Mobile Transfer Unit (Living Hub)”.

Within these and up to 10 other SPorT projects, technologies are not intended to be an end in themselves, but rather to increase the competitiveness of German ports and their resilience to market fluctuations and disruptions in supply chains through cooperative and people-centered design. As these challenges can best be mastered in close cooperation between research, practice and authorities, SPorT aims to attract new members from the region and further develop the community.