The Smart Ports Ecosystem of the European 2 Seas region

SPEED is a European Interreg project aiming to build an ecosystem for smart port app development in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the UK, bridging the gap between the worlds of European ports and the nascent data science – IoT market.

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The development of a Northbound land route starting from a new European hub in Piraeus and nearby Mediterranean ports and substantial infrastructure investments by Chinese shippers and trade investors put pressure on 2 Seas ports to become more efficient and innovative.
If data science capacity could be aligned with ports’ demands and complex multi-stakeholder challenges, it would address an important strategic need of the ports and speed up market development for the still immature data science industry.

Approach: Data science meets ports' needs

1. Mobilizing the port stakeholder ecosystem

in the 2 Seas area and engaging the stakeholders early on in the innovation funnel to generate Smart Port app challenges, to provide preferential feedback regarding their likelihood to adopt the apps, to pilot new smart port apps and to become early movers in the Smart Ports market.

2. Mobilizing the development community and connecting the Smart Port App builders with relevant port-side stakeholders

so as to get early market validation and traction for their Smart Port App ideas, as well as opportunities to engage with potential customers and advanced technology experts throughout the development of their ideas, use cases, prototypes and proof-of-concepts.
Beyond matching support to build with multidisciplinary innovation teams of technology and logistics experts and relevant interested users, (aspiring) Smart Port Developers will get indirect opportunities to scale their business together with the PortXL smart port accelerator and to attract financing for their scale-up business.

3. Directly supporting Smart Port App developers to become better entrepreneurs

through a specifically developed toolkit focusing on the aspects that drive business performance; from improving their business model and value delivery processes to even the personality of the entrepreneurs and their team. In the pilot phases of the Smart Port App development projects, both the entrepreneurs and the first users will also be assisted in the adoption and implementation process, so that in the end the 2 Seas Smart Port Ecosystem will not only have better entrepreneurs, but smarter users as well.

4. Building the interaction arena and structures for a forward-looking Smart Ports Innovation Ecosystem.

Besides building online and offline arenas for interaction between Smart Port stakeholders, SPEED will also enable them in the development of the governance and innovation project structures to effectuate a forward-looking Smart Port Market innovation strategy that will position the 2 Seas region as global leader in the Smart Ports market.

Project Team

Wouter Van Bockhaven – Antwerp Management School

Marianne Verkest – Antwerp Management School

Yassin Boullauazan – Antwerp Management School

Silvie Paps – Antwerp Management School

Philippe Martens – Antwerp Management School

Johanna Vanderstraeten – University of Antwerp

Sascha Albers – University of Antwerp

Morane Atzmon – University of Antwerp

Tanya Haegemans – University of Antwerp

Linda Teunkens – University of Antwerp

Thierry Vanelslander – University of Antwerp

Valentin Carlan – University of Antwerp

Rochdi Merzouki – University of Lille

Gérald Dherbomez – University of Lille

Mouad Kahouadji – University of Lille

Blaise Conrard – University of Lille

Arjan van den Born – JADS – Tilburg University

Arjan Haring – JADS – Tilburg University

Robin van Emden – JADS – Tilburg University

Corine Goossens – JADS – Tilburg University

Peter Grant – WSX Enterprise

Nick Gregory – WSX Enterprise

Julia Pearson – WSX Enterprise

Reza Sahandi – Bournemouth University

Vegard Engen – Bournemouth University

Shabnam Kazemi – Bournemouth University

Aikaterini Kakaounaki – Bournemouth University

Deniz Cetinkaya – Bournemouth University

Gernot Liebchen – Bournemouth University

Jerry Clarke – Portsmouth City Council

Mark Webb – Portsmouth City Council

Corentin Duplouy – CITC EuraRFID

Florence Lefèvre – CITC EuraRFID

Dieuwke Piebenga – Port of Moerdijk

Manon Baartmans – Port of Moerdijk

Lorie Van Deuren – Startups.be

Steve Wisdom – Poole Harbour Commissioners

Bill Reeves – Portland Port

Matthew Robson – Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council

Adrian Trevett – Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council

Jan Van Dooren – Port+

Cees-Willem Koorneef – PortXL

Daniel Sonneveldt – PortXL

Shahin Gelareh – IT and Business Analytics Ltd

Rahimeh Monemi – IT and Business Analytics Ltd

SPEED Smart Ports Portal


Add your port logistics Challenges, learn from other ports and discover developers and service providers who can help deliver solutions! Join our network to find out opportunities for ports and associated stakeholders. To add your challenges please register and create an account.

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Contact Us

Your contact person

Wouter Van Bockhaven

Project Manager

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Provincie Antwerpen

Dit project krijgt financiële ondersteuning van Provincie Antwerpen.

Affiliate partners of the SPEED project