Eco-efficiency to maritime industry processes in the Baltic Sea Region through digitalisation

October 2017 -
March 2021
Uncompleted
3. Transport 3.4 Clean shipping

ECOPRODIGI

ECOPRODIGI kick starts international collaboration between industry and academia to reduce the ecological footprint of transport vessels during their lifecycles through digitalisation. Research organisations mediate between technology developers and shipping companies, shipyards, suppliers and ports. Focusing on ferry and roll-on/roll-off shipping (i.e. wheeled cargo such as trucks and railroad cars), the partners analyse environmental inefficiencies, digitally simulate performance, and design business models for digital solutions.

 

Summary

The ECOPRODIGI project increases eco-efficiency in the Baltic Sea region maritime sector by creating and piloting digital solutions in close cooperation between industry end-users and research organisations. Ultimately, ECOPRODIGI supports the Baltic Sea region in becoming a front-runner in maritime industry digitalisation and clean shipping.

Environmental and economic pressure for cleaner shipping

The Baltic Sea is one of the busiest and most vulnerable seas. Shipping in the Baltic Sea is highly regulated and the industry is under pressure to meet the regulations. In addition, customers are increasingly interested in the environmental performance of shipping. The shipping industry in the region is also facing increasingly fierce competition. Thus, there is a need to produce more value with less resources, waste and pollution – i.e. a need for more eco-efficient operations and processes in the shipping industry.

Digital solutions enhancing eco-efficiency throughout the vessel lifecycle

ECOPRODIGI addresses both the environmental and economic challenges by increasing eco-efficiency at all stages of the vessel lifecycle from design and building to the use, maintenance, stowage as well as conversion processes. In practice, ECOPRODIGI does not only provide highly needed information about the key eco-inefficiencies of the industry but also concretely develops and pilots digital solutions to better measure, visualise and optimise the industry processes. ECOPRODIGI also improves the capacity of the maritime industry actors to enhance eco-efficiency in their operations by providing training for the key actors and by designing a digitalisation road map for increasing eco-efficiency. As digitalisation remains largely unexploited in the maritime industry, ECOPRODIGI also strengthens the public support for digitalisation by providing policy workshops and recommendations.

Highlights by mid-term:

Partners from Denmark and Sweden have analysed vessel performance through testing eco-efficiency assessment tool on four ferry routes in Denmark, and on larger vessels on-route between Denmark and Sweden. The participating vessels received recommendations on how to optimise their route and reduce fuel consumption. The partners analysed methods and processes of cargo stowage and mapped vessel’s stay in harbour, including end-two-end process. Based on the case study of DFDS shipping company (Denmark), they also identified the bottlenecks in the stowage processes. Finnish and Lithuanian shipyards revealed the key eco-inefficiencies when analysing internal processes at the Finish pilot shipyard. The partners also worked together on developing and testing the digital solutions to improved eco-efficiencies in stowage processes and shipyards.

Follow-up activities

ECOPRODIGI continues as EXOPRODIGI.

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Budgets

Total
€ 4.24
million
Erdf
€ 3.00
million
Eni + Russia
€ 0.00
million
Norway
€ 0.14
million

PARTNERS

Social Media

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CONTACTS

Project manager

University of Turku

Milla Harju

358 505 058 625

Legal representative

University of Turku

Juuso Töyli

358 2 333 9248

Financial manager

University of Turku

Marjaana Reunasalo

358 50 406 8801

Communication manager

Centrum Balticum Foundation

Emilia Tuominen

358 405 096 444

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