The attendees of Navelink’s Developer forum in February were given a presentation about the POLO app for port actors, which was held by Anders Berg, Senior Manager for Maritime Solutions at Unikie. Another main topic was STM, SECOM and MMS design patterns for services.
Unikie’s POLO Application
Unikie is an engineering company, offering services that meet at the intersection of three global macro trends; Internet of Everything, Artificial Intelligence and 5G, providing continuous situational awareness for guidance and decision making. Edge-AI and real-time data, secure communications and autonomous mobility are combined to connect people, processes and vehicles in real time.
Anders Berg, Senior Manager for Maritime Solutions at Unikie, presented their port solution as a service, the POLO application. POLO is an open ecosystem based, end-to-end digitalization platform for ports and logistics (POrts and LOgistics have given the service its name POLO).
POLO was launched during 2021 in the ports Gävle and Rauma after a joint project together with Nordic maritime authorities. It is a customer-driven, service-oriented web and mobile solution. On the 1st of February 2023 the module “Time Slot Gävle” was taken into use in Gävle, a module and service that enables Just-in-Time arrival.
POLO is designed for professional daily use on both mobile and desktop. It has a flexible and personalized user interface where access to features, functionality and data depends on user rights and organization. Some of the features include data visualization in the form of maps, dashboards and timelines, as well as planning and prediction tools based on real needs.
Input from data sources such as AIS, pilots, ship agents and VTS is channeled into the POLO application through the awareness and integration platforms. It is then turned into actionable insights for main functionalities such as sustainability and emission control, port management, port community, smart space and supply chain. Likewise, real-life problems of the main functionalities are turned into search orders for the data sources.
One example of how POLO is used is through the Time Slot Gävle feature for the Port of Gävle. A vessel or representative of a vessel applies for a queue slot 36 hours before arrival, whereupon POLO generates an RTA based on berth availability. The ETA is allowed to deviate two hours from the RTA. Once the RTA is confirmed by the vessel, it is guaranteed a spot on the berth upon arrival.
Anders Berg’s presentation encouraged a discussion regarding information sources and how to capture vessels’ estimated times of arrival. The discussion also touched on security, where using Navelink as an identity provider can render the authentication process global in the future.
Developer forum is a monthly recurring digital event offering Navelink users and stakeholders the chance to discuss development progress and coming focus areas. The next Developer Forum will be held on the 24th of March 2023 at 14:00h CET.
Author: Milena Dalinaros