Bournemouth University is using Wazoku’s idea management platform, Idea Spotlight, to power the stakeholder engagement in the SPEED project, a major initiative that looks to gather and develop the ideas that will transform port logistics across Western Europe.

Port logistics are a major challenge for the industry, with a need to reduce carbon emissions, improve efficiencies and deploy new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), data science and the Internet of Things (IoT) more effectively.

The SPEED (Smart Ports Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development) portal, part of the EU programme, Interreg 2 Seas, launches today (3 December), coordinated by Bournemouth University. It involves a broad cross-section of industry stakeholders, including logistics companies, ferry operators, ship liners, government agencies, marine companies and leisure boat operators, as well as fellow universities, working together to come up with the ideas to transform port logistics.

“SPEED required a platform that allowed collaboration across geographies and organisational structures, so security was a key consideration,” said Reza Sahandi, Professor in Computing & Informatics, Bournemouth University. “It’s a major undertaking to get such different organisations collaborating in this way and Idea Spotlight delivered in terms of security and confidentiality of ideas, as well as offering the many features we wanted.”

Bournemouth University selected Wazoku after evaluating a number of other providers. Wazoku’s Idea Spotlight platform had the functionality to encourage and develop innovation and was also able to facilitate the important data capture and collaborative element of SPEED.

With up to 1,000 expected contributors submitting ideas, SPEED will connect maritime logistics players, port authorities and large IT providers with technology start-ups, data science and maritime experts and knowledge centres. The ideas and innovations discussed and developed in this community will feed into a connected port environment and be shared across Western European ports and port stakeholders to improve performance and reduce carbon emissions.

“By the project end in 2022, we want to have identified the specific challenges facing the port logistics industry and have already put in place technological solutions to those challenges,” continued Professor Reza Sahandi. “We are developing an integrated community, bringing together port stakeholders, technical entrepreneurs and start-ups. Idea Spotlight will enable us to foster this community of innovators focused on transforming the industry.”

Idea Spotlight is used by businesses and public sector organisations all over the world, to capture, evaluate, develop and implement ideas from across an ecosystem, including employees, customers, partners, and many other stakeholders. It makes collaboration around idea development much easier, giving everyone a voice and a platform to share ideas.

“SPEED involves many stakeholders, all with different agendas and a different take on what is needed to improve efficiencies in Western European ports,” said Simon Hill, CEO and Founder, Wazoku. “We are excited to be selected by Bournemouth University for this project and we look forward to seeing some of the ideas emerge and be implemented.”