Why participate?
Port Innovation Atlas is here to help and enables you to set up your innovation agenda quickly. Post your challenges to more than 2,500 validated start-ups and scale-upsworldwide. It will be hard not to find a solution.
Our experienced coaches help you define concrete issues, match them to a start-up and get going. Bring your port to the next level. Sign up today and begin your journey towards a smarter and more sustainable port!
How does it work?
For Port Authorities:
1) Fill out the sign up form and speak with our colleagues if necessary
2) We put your Port Profile and your innovation challenge(s) online on the Atlas (see example from Port of Rotterdam) Note: this step is free
3) We search our database and validate any start-ups that sign up to make sure they are good fits.
4) We inform you of the matched start-ups and publish them on your port profile. The published information is a summary – you receive the full detailed report. Note: this step requires you to pay the yearly subscription fee stated on the sign up page (Port Authorities already partnered with PortXL in other ventures can use this service for free)
5) Contact the matched start-ups and start innovating together! We are not involved in this step, it is entirely between you and the start-ups to create value together. For further assistance and future in-depth cooperation, please contact us.
For Start-ups:
1) Check out the innovation challenges submitted by the port authorities
2) Identify the ones you are interested in and submit your solution via the form
3) We will review your solution and if there is a match, we will inform the relevant port authority of you and share your submitted answers with them.
4) The port authority contacts you and you start exploring the use case with them. We are not involved in this step, and take no fee from start-ups at any point. The service is free for you. We hope it leads to successful pilots and contracts for you – best of luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can’t find the answer you are looking for? Contact our Port Innovation Manager Daniel Sonneveldt via the button below and he’ll be on hand to swiftly address your concerns.
Submitting a challenge and getting the port profile online is free
To get a report and matched start-ups, port authorities need to pay a yearly subscription.
Early bird prices are €1500 for IAPH members and €4500 for non-IAPH members.
Alternatively, we have a special one challenge deal for €500. (after the challenge is complete, we will freeze the profile until a subscription is purchased)
Early bird discount applies until January 1st 2021.
We will send a digital invoice after the port profile goes online and we are ready to match the port authority with validated innovators.
For start-ups, the platform carries no fees.
The platform is a safe online environment exclusively aimed at bringing about port-related innovations by means of connecting Port Authorities to worldwide start-ups and scale-ups.
The innovations embedded in our database (i.e. tools and methods developed by 2,500+ start-ups) are a mix of hardware and software solutions for the maritime, logistics, energy and refinery sectors. These range from underwater ROVs to online platforms for reporting inspections to wastewater treatment chemicals to logistics digitalisation tools and plenty more.
Challenges, problems, issues – whatever it is that you, the Port Authority, want to understand, solve or get a grip on.
When you sign up, we’ll ask you to formulate your main challenge(s). Don’t worry about getting it 100% right the first time; you’ll have the opportunity to re-formulate or adapt your challenge later on.
Your first description will give us an idea of what you are looking for. It will kick-start the matching process. Once you have signed up, you can ask us to help you formulate a more focused challenge if needed.
Yes, Port innovation Atlas shows the basic challenges of all the ports that are engaged in the program.
No, your competition does not get commercially sensitive information about your port.
You will see that many ports are struggling with the same topics – just check out the challenges that are already posted.
Many of them are general ‘port problems’, such as quayside maintenance, predictive data on water depths, occupancy-efficiency, turn-around times, how to start complying with the Sustainable Development Goals or handle security issues, ISPS and the ISM Code etc.
Sharing your challenge will show your stakeholders, incl. local governments and universities, that you are actively engaged in both innovation and solving problems. You actively improve your reputation as an innovation-enabler. This might attract new clients and cargo, but also makes you attractive to future employees that want work on SDG’s or efficiency issues.
Not if you don’t want to. Once there’s a match between you and a solution provider, it’s up to you how to structure your cooperation. Both parties draw up a contract according to their own wishes. Neither Port Innovation Atlas, nor other Port Authorities are involved. It’s just you and your new partner innovating together.
Of course, there are several alternatives for solving your challenges. You can form your own internal task force and do it yourself or hire an expensive consultant. However, running your innovation program through the Port Innovation Atlas has several advantages, such as:
- You get access to validated solution providers
- Port Innovation Atlas is a relatively low cost solution and unrivalled in its scope: 2,500 start-ups and scale-ups
- The programme has emerged from (and is deeply embedded in) the port industry itself
- If you want to start innovating for the long term, this is the easiest way to start (and one of the cheapest)
- Track record – you’ll be participating in a proven method. Our method of solution-selection, challenge-formulation and getting to work has proved itself in the past 5 years. There are many examples of partners that booked great results in efficiency, innovation and sustainability. Check out these cases or get in touch with us and we’ll tell you all about them.
- You’re not out on a limb. Our experience is at your disposal. Start-ups are usually (very) small organisations that sometimes organise themselves in non-traditional ways. We can help you deal with this, and more important, learn how to work with them to your advantage.
Certainly not! You are one of the ports in the global network of small, medium and large ports. Whether you are located in the midst of a global hub or at a remote location, Port Innovation Atlas is there for every single port.
All ports worldwide can access our program, just like the start-ups in our database come from around the globe. Together, we can solve some of the most pressing challenges in the world. Individually, we can start today, with one issue and aided by a start-up that has just one wish: to put its mind to your problem and solve it.
To Port Innovation Atlas, all Port Authorities are of equal importance and this is already reflected in the participating ports.
You can if you want to, but there is no intrinsic need to do so. Bricks don’t innovate – people do!
To achieve the goals set out in your innovation agenda, you need to work with the right people.
We are willing to help you co-develop your innovation hub (or incubator or accelerator). Each port and ecosystem requires a custom-made framework. You can house your hub in a separate building, but this is not a requirement.
Organising your hub is what matters. You are welcome to discuss your ideas and obstacles with us.