Page 13 - Port of Hamburg Magazine - 03.18

sector. Their expertise guarantees the quality of lessons learned and the practical relevance of pro- posed solutions.
WORKSHOPS WITH AN IMPACT
After around 18 months of ‘Hamburg-NRWplus’, a net- work has emerged from the expert panel that is actively championing development of the measures developed during the workshops. Depending on the topic, repre- sentatives of industry and logistics have reinforced the panel. Their efforts are already bearing exemplary fruit, with Hamburg now being served again more frequently by rail from Bönen and Warstein. Awareness of inland waterway services has been enlarged, and a sustained dialogue achieved between those involved in the trans- port sector in Hamburg and NRW.
In four workshops this year, the experts have dis- cussed significant topic groups and worked out some possible solutions for the most significant theme groups: Digitalization in the transport chain, optimiza- tion of heavy-load services, improvement of the range of transport offered, empty box management, and Customs formalities. The results are practice-related, indicate a definite need for action, and suggest meas- ures at every level, as for example:
• More effective Customs clearance through im- proved knowledge of procedures after briefing sessions by Hamburg Customs in NRW
• Support for introduction of new rail services to- wards Bönen, Dortmund, Minden
• Simplification and standardization of clearance procedures for heavy shipments and alternative routes
• Preferential clearance of pre- and post-carriage runs for heavy freight
PROSPECTS FOR EXTENSION OF PROJECT
After around 18 months, five activity packages, four workshops, as well as countless hours spent work- ing and networking, no end is in sight for the pro- ject team. On the contrary, the unanimous and emphatic recommendation to the ministries of eco- nomics in Hamburg and of transport in NRW is ‘Car- ry on’. The task for the panel is to encourage pro- gress on the project and to supervise implementation of the next steps. A neutral platform for expert ex- changes and for hatching ideas would then be avail- able for industry & logistics, and politics too, facili- tating a sustained improvement in the range of transport services. ■
Port of Hamburg Magazine | September 2018 | 13
HINTERLAND ■