Artificial intelligence for more intelligent container transport

Project
Blockshipping

The Blockshipping company streamlines global container terminals using machine learning and algorithms. The target is to have 40 terminals as customers by 2023, and a significant reduction in the shipping industry’s climate footprint.

Ships, trucks and cranes have been stacking containers more or less randomly in port terminals around the world for the past 40 years, says Peter Ludvigen, the CEO and founder of Blockshipping.

The company is based in Lyngby, and in the autumn of 2020 it received funding from the EUDP special Blue Denmark pool to demonstrate a new technology to optimise container handling considerably using artificial intelligence (AI) and datasets. 

“Random stacking of imported containers is routine at terminals around the world, and we want to correct this, with benefits for all. In simple terms, we take existing container data from terminals and improve it using our AI model. The AI-IDP technology and the associated business processes in the routine operations at the terminal are implemented following a workshop with players from the terminal.  This gives each terminal more control over their containers. We have to leave random stacking behind,” says Peter Ludvigen.

In this EUDP project, using the new AI-IDP technology (Import Dwell Time Prediction), Blockshipping will be able to reduce the number of container movements by 30 per cent at every terminal. There are more than 1,000 container terminals globally. 

Even more customers

The companies Mindsoft and 2021.AI are also part of the project. Mindsoft develops the user platform to make it easy for Blockshipping to see performance data and support customers. 2021.AI supplies the artificial intelligence behind the Blockshipping software. 

“Artificial intelligence can solve some of the major challenges facing the shipping industry. 2021.AI has extensive experience in optimising complex planning and logistics issues for organisations. Our partnership with Blockshipping means we can offer our skills to even more customers,” says Mikael Munck, the CEO and founder of 2021.AI.

Blockshipping is demonstrating the AI platform to several customers in the project; one terminal in East Asian, one on the US west coast, and soon one in Africa as well.

COVID-19 has been a challenge and it has postponed our plans. What we could have achieved in a month has taken several months, in part because we can’t meet people in person. It’s been frustrating, but things are looking brighter now, and we believe we can meet the goals we have set. The funding, first from the Danish Maritime Fund and now from the EUDP, has enabled us to get going and grow,” said Peter Ludvigsen.

40 customers in 2023

If their plans progress as expected, Blockshipping sees both good business opportunities and a more sustainable future ahead.

”If we reach our goal of 40 customers globally by 2023, we’ll be able to save 97,000 tonnes of carbon emissions,” says Peter Ludvigsen from Blockshipping. He also stresses space optimisation at the individual terminal as a positive effect of better container management. 

”We can help terminals to stack containers in four layers rather than the usual three. This is a major advantage for terminals with space shortages that would otherwise have to rent or buy additional area. Furthermore, space at ports is very costly, so there are millions of dollars to save by stacking containers more intelligently,” says Peter Ludvigsen.

The next milestone for the project is to sign a contract to implement the technology with a third customer in Africa. The point about machine learning is that the technology gets better and better the more you feed it with datasets from different terminals.

”The good thing about demonstration and development is that we can show that our product really has an effect. Following our EUDP project, we’ll have a system that is constantly being improved, with benefits for the shipping industry and the climate,“ says Peter Ludvigsen.

Facts

Project: Blockshipping AI Import Container Dwelltime Prediction (AI-IDP)

  • Grant in 2020 of DKK 1.8 million.
  • Total project budget DKK 3 million.
  • Project duration 2020-2021
Emne

Kontakt

 Wickie Bekker Lassen

Wickie Lassen Agdal

Systemintegration, el-lagring og -transport

+45 33 92 92 73