Digital test field set up for 5G port terminal connectivity
The Port of Kiel is establishing a digital test field (Source: Port of Kiel)
A digital test field at two RoRo terminals for a new 5G terminal communication and traffic control system will be established in the Port of Kiel, Germany. The EUR 1.75 million project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) will focus on the Ostuferhafen and Schwedenkai RoRo facilities and last until June 2024.
The purpose of the D-Tech-Base project is to establish a 5G-campus network for fast data transmission, aligned with the latest information and communication infrastructure. Tagless optical unit tracking of trailers, a real-time forklift truck fleet management system, and new systems for intelligent traffic control will be adopted, including multimedia screens and video scanning gates for trucks and trailers. Gates will be erected for rail freight traffic, and camera systems with optical character recognition (OCR) will support the collection of information on respective transport units.
The port’s managing director, Dr Dirk Claus, commented: “Kiel is a leader in the digitalisation of operational processes in RoRo terminals. With the support of the BMVI, we will further develop innovative solutions in process optimisation and networking within the framework of DigiTest. I am looking forward to the digital test field, which will enable us to operate even more efficiently and sustainably.”
A priority will be the integration of new components with existing systems, including warehousing software that has been developed internally and is important in digital mapping and optimisation along the process chain, the port said. It is used, for example, to ensure efficient operations at the Kiel Forest Products Centre, which handles, stores and distributes Swedish paper industry products worth about one billion euros a year.
“The complexity of our RoRo terminals offers ideal conditions for a digital test field in which the future-oriented 5G infrastructure can be established under real conditions,” Claus declared. “A blueprint for innovative solutions is being created in Kiel and makes the port particularly interesting as an employer for IT specialists.”
