Finnish port equipment manufacturer Cargotec Oyj is embarking on an EU wide project to develop connected and automated waterborne transport. The AEGIS (Advanced, Efficient and Green Intermodal Systems) project is focused on developing automated ships and port automation. It is funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme.

Cargotec subsidiaries Kalmar and MacGregor are each participating in the AEGIS project. Kalmar specialises in the development of port cargo handling equipment, automated terminal solutions, software and services. MacGregor is a specialist in intelligent maritime and shipborne cargo handling systems.

The focus of the AEGIS project is on integrating smaller ships, inland transport and short-sea shipping with larger terminals. The aim is to create a completely new European transport system that will be more flexible and user-centric. Such a renewed transport system will help improve services to rural and urban areas and revitalise regional ports and city terminals.

Kalmar and MacGregor will become technology providers for the AEGIS project.

The project has been selected by the EU Commission to show that autonomous ships and port automation technologies can make waterborne transport more flexible and user-oriented while reducing the environmental impact of transport in the EU.

Janne Suominen, Manager, Offering Development, MacGregor: “Increasing the level of automation in cargo handling onboard vessels and in ports is critical in terms of developing waterborne logistics systems in inter-European cargo transport. We expect that our involvement in AEGIS will provide valuable input for our strategic initiatives to develop world-leading cargo handling technology for connected and automated transport.”

Lasse Eriksson, Vice President, Technology, Kalmar Mobile Solutions: “By participating in this project we want to help smaller ports and inland cargo logistics operators to address the challenges they are facing, which include congestion and scaling problems due to heavy road traffic, ever-larger vessel sizes and increasingly limited storage space as well as labour cost and availability.”