Together with customers and partners, innovative digital logistics solutions are to be developed and brought to market maturity. The startup accelerator startport will play a key role in this. "We believe we have a good chance of being awarded the contract by the state because 5G technology is not yet widespread in inland ports," explains Peter Trapp, Managing Director of startport and Chief Representative at duisport.

"The introduction of the 5G standard in the Port of Duisburg is the most important infrastructure measure of this decade. Our customers' value chains will depend on it in the future. With this project, we are offering our customers the opportunity to actively shape the development of this important future platform. Our partners have a real market advantage with this 5G project: they can quickly develop their expertise in this field. Sustainable alliances will quickly emerge between established companies and young start-ups," explains Erich Staake, CEO of the duisport Group.

A unique selling point will be that the 5G test field network will be available to all companies in the Port of Duisburg for the development of innovations. startport will provide the central network for 5G start-ups in NRW with the 5G Masterclass. The scouting of partners and integration into the pilot projects will be organized by the startport team.

5G test field as an opportunity for structural change 2.0 in Duisburg

"If 5G technology renews logistics applications in the port, the Smart Port will have a positive impact on the entire city and could be a blueprint for further applications in the fields of logistics and mobility," explains Andree Haack, Head of Economic Affairs at the City of Duisburg. The long-term goal is to successfully manage the structural change in the city of Duisburg, in which new products and services related to 5G will make a sustainable and decisive contribution. "With this private 5G test field in the port, which is unique in Germany, new companies will become aware of Duisburg and settle here. This creates jobs, which is why the city is happy to drive the Smart Port project forward with duisport and the university," continued Haack.

Innovative navigation solutions reduce truck traffic

The 5G network offers great opportunities, particularly in the field of traffic management. "For example, the inflow and outflow of trucks to and from the terminals at the Port of Duisburg could be controlled more efficiently using the low-latency 5G-supported traffic guidance system," explains Andreas Stöhr, Professor of Electrical Engineering. This is because 5G enables data to be transmitted in real time. To this end, traffic data is continuously recorded and evaluated using technological aids such as cameras, sensors, drones and artificial intelligence methods. The data collected in this way is forwarded to the truck drivers via the 5G network. This would allow trucks to drive to specific parking spaces in so-called pre-gates in the port area or be guided directly to the terminals. On the one hand, this could relieve some of the pressure on the overcrowded service stations on the freeways and, on the other, relieve Duisburg residents who would otherwise be confronted with a lack of parking space and emissions. "Nevertheless, there is still a lot to be tested in 5G technology, which is why we will be able to put precisely such use cases through their paces in the 5G.Logport project," Professor Stöhr is convinced.