Students are looking for solutions to a one gate system at Vuosaari Harbour through Intelligence Hunt

The Port of Helsinki’s Development Manager Jani Lindroos gives the following definition for the group’s assignment: 
“Their key task is to find out all the different purposes the Vuosaari one gate system should be able to work for. Additionally, we are hoping to understand what kind of extra services port users would like to see in connection to the port operations and what kind of pricing models could be applied to these extra services.

The students will interview companies involved in transport at Vuosaari Harbour, especially port operators and shipping companies. They will also be in contact with companies offering technologies linked to the gates and access control, weighing, measurements and other additional services, for example. 

What is a one gate system? 

At the moment, each port operator at Vuosaari Harbour has their own gate, which 
ensures that the vehicle is in the right place and that the driver has all the necessary information and documents. 

A one-gate system would allow for a more efficient use of the area and would decrease the need for overlapping infrastructure. It could also facilitate the acquisition of various extra services even if their procurement for a separate gate would not be profitable.

“If we want to centralise operations, the complicated permit logics will emerge as a challenge,” Lindroos says.
“Additionally, the needs of different operators and shipping companies for extra services very a great deal. Naturally, any responsibility issues, such as those related to cargo transfer, must be considered carefully.”

Bringing the field’s students and companies together

The Intelligence Hunt project brings together companies in the maritime industry and its international students around Europe. 
“The next generation’s experts will take on real assignments related to the companies’ business operations and come up with solutions that work. The student groups are mentored by experienced professionals from the supply chain management, seafaring and shipbuilding industries,” says SeaFocus’s CEO Ulla Keino, shedding light on the competition’s background.

“This one gate project at Vuosaari Harbour is a great Intelligence Hunt case, which will help the Port of Helsinki improve the efficiency of the infrastructure and potentially also offer value added services to the port users,” says a mentor of the Intelligence Hunt group, Frank Kho, who can boast extensive experience spanning more than 30 years in container logistics and the terminal industry around the world.

“I find it a pleasure to support this group of international students from several academic backgrounds. They are enthusiastic and very motivated to provide their fresh, sometimes out of the (terminal industry) box thinking to propose a one gate solution for Vuosaari Harbour.” 

“Intelligence Hunt is a great opportunity for the Port of Helsinki to gain new perspectives while simultaneously presenting the port industry to young people. The students and the group mentors have a fairly free hand in deciding how to approach the case to be solved. Some of the group members have even visited Vuosaari to get a better picture of the situation,” Lindroos says.

The now ongoing competition has seven student groups and seven companies that have defined the challenges for which they are looking for the best solutions. The competition finale will be held on 26 January 2022 with hybrid event technology, and the winners will be published on 27 January 2022 in Helsinki, on Finnline’s Star Class ship.