Connecting Remote Areas of the Southern and Eastern Baltic Sea Region. Mid-term Results

Transcription

1 Connecting Remote Areas of the Southern and Eastern Baltic Sea Region Mid-term Results

2 Contents Preface 4 Strengthening sustainable multimodal transport concepts 14 Facts & Figures 5 Enhancing the logistics connectivity of low-accessibility areas 18 The political perspective 6 The people behind the project 22 Developing the Region s hidden potential 8 Project partners 23 Improving the internal and external accessibility of remote areas 10 In the lead at half-time 25 Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter: 2 3

3 Preface Sebastian Doderer, Project Coordinator, Port of Hamburg Marketing (Lead Partner) Dear Readers, In a globalized economy a port is no longer a mere interface between sea- and land-borne modes of transport. The same is true of inland terminals, which have been transformed from handling sites to complex logistics centres offering a variety of value-added services to their customers. This is of particular importance in the Southern and Eastern Baltic Sea Region since the logistics sector is both contributing to and benefiting from aboveaverage economic development there. This is why in 2011 we set up the cooperative project AMBER COAST LOGISTICS (ACL) within the framework of the European Union s INTERREG IVB Baltic Sea Region Programme with the aim of improving cargo flows and sea- and land-side accessibility; strengthening economic ties between emerging Eastern European countries, such as Belarus, the Russian Federation and the Ukraine, and EU Member States within the BSR; facilitating sustainable mutual development; and offering transparent and competition-neutral services to the market. Facts & Figures Just like amber, a valuable but well-hidden gem, the Southern and Eastern Baltic Sea Region has great logistics potential. The aim of the EU-funded project Amber Coast Logistics is to develop this hidden potential through a variety of targeted measures. Duration October 2011 March 2014 Countries involved Participants Lead partner Belarus, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland 19 project partners from the above countries (representatives of ports, logistic locations, public authorities and research institutions) and 25 associated partners (e.g. key commercial players, relevant associations) Port of Hamburg Marketing The ACL project partners during a workshop held in the Polish capital of Warsaw With this project now at the halfway stage, I am happy to report that substantial progress has been made. Through working productively together we have established a clear picture of the situation facing the international freight transport sector in the ACL region. By actively involving business stakeholders, we have clarified the starting points for optimization measures as well. This will form a good foundation for the remaining lifetime of the project, in which we plan to implement the measures in our project partners locations. Through working productively together we have established a clear picture of the situation facing the international freight transport sector in the ACL region. This brochure aims to give you an insight into AMBER COAST LOGISTICS who we are, what we are doing and where we want to go. I invite you to learn more about this fascinating cooperative project and the potential links to your own fieldwork. We hope you have an interesting read! Baltic Sea Region Programme The ACL project is funded by the European Union s Baltic Sea Region (BSR) Programme and the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). The BSR Programme co-finances projects that aim to foster innovations, enhance internal and external accessibility, promote the Baltic Sea as a common resource, and increase the attractiveness and competitiveness of cities and regions. ACL is one of the projects in the field of internal and external accessibility. 4 5

4 The political perspective Dr. Andreas Scheuer, Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development, Germany Germany is among the world s leading logistics centres and plays an important role in freight transport thanks to its location in the geographic heart of Europe. However, the demands facing the logistics sector have become tougher. Addressing climate change, improving competitiveness, managing demographic change, dealing with the expected increase in traffic levels and finding infrastructure solutions for new mobility requirements make joint action necessary. INTERREG projects such as Amber Coast Logistics are intended to facilitate communication between the involved regions and players on common problems and possible solutions. In Germany, as in other countries, we are pursuing an open and transparent transport policy. All transport stakeholders exchange information on a regular basis. I therefore fully support the aim of promoting the exchange of ideas and experience between policymakers and logistics players by means of transnational cooperation in order to build a Europe that is united and stable from the bottom up. Andris Maldups, Director of Transit Policy Department, Ministry of Transport, Republic of Latvia Latvia s geographical location on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea at the point of intersection of transport flows between the East (Russia, Asia) and the West (Europe) has always made our country a gateway for international commerce. We have three major ports, a well-developed road and railway network, as well as an international and several regional airports. Ports, one of the main elements in the logistics chain, promote not only the portal cities, but also the economic development of the whole region. Therefore Latvia s important transportation hubs and significant transit and industrial centres, the Freeport of Ventspils and the Freeport of Riga, are both ACL project partners, as is the Latvian Logistics Association. Participation in the ACL project is a great opportunity to evaluate the existing logistics situation in the Amber Coast region, to define and improve its bottlenecks, and to develop the huge cooperation potential between the EU and its eastern neighbours. That is very significant for our ports and the whole Latvia, as we are part of this transport chain with direct connections to Russia and Belarus. Evgeni V. Rogachev, First Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications, Republic of Belarus The main goal of the logistics sector in Belarus is to increase the transit flows of goods through our country and the growth of our export potential. The transit cargo shippers are from Russia, China and the EU. In this context, we are leading the work on reducing the regulatory and informational barriers to the movement of export and transit of goods. In this respect, the Amber Coast Logistics (ACL) project will contribute to the harmonization of EU legislation with the Customs Union and the greater integration of economic entities participating in ACL. To improve the accessibility of logistics areas that are remote from transport corridors, it is important to develop a network of logistics centres that are integrated into the European logistics system. We believe that Amber Coast Logistics will contribute to the realization of this necessity. Vladislav Kondratovič, Viceminister of Transport and Communications, Republic of Lithuania Located at the centre of the Baltic Sea region between Western and Eastern Europe, Lithuania has been well known as a transit state since ancient times. With the development of trade between the Baltic Sea countries, the attractiveness of Lithuania is becoming evident a convenient geographic location, an ice-free seaport, four international airports, a welldeveloped road and rail infrastructure, educated people and skills developed from longterm cooperation with Eastern European countries. Since logistics services in Lithuania account for an important part of the country s GDP, the state encourages scientific research, professional training, investment in roads and railways, seaports and airports, border crossings and public logistics centres. The active participation and mutual understanding of public institutions, universities, associations and logistics companies will bring our major goals to fruition and create viable transport networks in the Baltic Sea region. 6 7

5 Developing the Region s hidden potential It is very important to have forecasts of future cargo volumes forwarded through our region, and particularly data on transport corridors, to acknowledge our own potential and the potential of our competitors. Our vision to become a socially and environmentally responsible port able to respond to global trends and the changing needs of customers coincides with the aims and objectives of ACL. The Amber Coast Region with its natural hinterland is one of the most promising logistics areas in Northern Europe. But a lot of this potential is still untapped because the freight transport and logistics infrastructure is underdeveloped. The ACL project aims to tackle this issue. With 100 million inhabitants and a powerful heterogeneous economy the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) is one of the strongest and most competitive regions in the world. However, the region is also characterised by big disparities in economic development due to different economic structures, policies and degrees of liberalisation in the various countries. Before the economic and financial crises struck in 2008 /2009, BSR economies were growing faster than the EU average, largely thanks to steady growth in intraregional trade. But the region s location on the periphery of Europe s economic centres means it is heavily dependent on foreign trade in goods and economic growth is dependent on a smoothly functioning freight transport and logistics infrastructure. By developing innovative and sustainable hinterland transport structures, ACL can make the BSR a more accessible and attractive place. The Amber Coast Region and its natural hinterland in the Baltic States, North-West Russia, Belarus and Northern Ukraine is one of the most promising logistic areas in Northern Europe. Transport flows between the EU and Russia via the BSR have increased dynamically over the past decade, and similar developments can be expected for transport flows with Belarus and the Northern Ukraine. However, much of the evident growth potential is yet to be exploited because of an underdeveloped freight transport and logistics infrastructure. That is why ACL was conceived as a collaborative project focusing on multimodal and logistics development in the Southern and Eastern BSR with a particular emphasis on the region s poorly accessible areas. By developing innovative and sustainable hinterland transport structures, ACL can make the BSR a more accessible and attractive place. And by closely cooperating with key political and logistics players, exchanging best practices, holding information events and carrying out promotional activities, ACL is also working to reduce the obstacles to transport flows between the EU, Belarus and Russia. Inga France, Market Analyst, Freeport of Riga Authority ACL addresses specific problems in the BSR. First, the rapid growth in cargo volumes in this region has resulted in infrastructural and operational capacity problems with high-volume, long-distance cargo flows crossing sparsely populated areas on heavily used corridors. Second, many of the remote areas are poorly accessible, which is disadvantageous for the local economy. Segmented supply chains connected via logistics centres would enable more balanced cargo flows, a faster response to market developments and better connections between remote rural areas and multimodal freight routes. Ultimately, this would facilitate the integration of the region s poorly accessible areas. But to achieve these goals, it is vital to improve coordination and communication between the different players. In order to increase the accessibility of remote areas for cargo within the BSR, ACL is working to coordinate the transnational development of logistics centres and bring together freight transport players to promote interaction, knowledge transfer and mutual understanding. This will benefit not only the remote areas (through increased accessibility) but also companies (through stronger partnerships) and customers (through better services), as well as enhancing the efficiency of the region s logistics processes. ACL is working to achieve these ambitious goals through workshops, conferences, staff exchange programmes and a policy forum for effective dissemination of project results. Moreover, permanent work groups have been set up to deal with various aspects of the project s work. The work of the three groups dealing with analytical, conceptual and implementation-related aspects is described on the following pages. Kurt Bodewig, Germany s former Transport Minister and Chairman of the Baltic Sea Forum It is vital to improve coordination and communication between the different players. ACL the main objectives Establishing a transnational logistics network in the Southern and Eastern Baltic Sea Region is one of the most important goals of Amber Coast Logistics. Only through strong partnerships can we create the necessary preconditions for generating multimodal transport links in the Baltic Sea Region. The Baltic is the lifeline of the countries around this sea, hinterland connections are the most important arteries and at the same time guarantee a prosperous development of the entire Baltic Sea Region. Foster development of multimodal logistics centres in the region to improve the accessibility of remote areas Support freight transport connections between the southern and eastern BSR and Central Europe Bring together players in the freight transport and logistics sectors to facilitate knowledge transfer and improve mutual understanding Establish a transnational network of logistics service providers With the aim of increasing the accessibility of remote areas for cargo within the BSR, ACL is working to coordinate the transnational development of logistics centres. 8 9

6 Handling containers in the Port of Hamburg: Germany s leading seaport is well known for its good hinterland connections ACCESSIBLE This analytical Work Package has been divided up into a Improving the internal and external accessibility of remote areas Developing strategies to improve the internal and external accessibility of remote areas in the BSR is the top priority of the work group tackling the Analytical Work Package (WP). Particular attention is being paid to the institutional and legal aspects of accessibility. ACL is striving to achieve four goals by compiling strategies to improve the internal and external accessibility of remote areas within the BSR: Enable a more efficient use of logistics services within the region Develop seamless transport solutions between the Baltic Sea countries and the neighbouring countries of Belarus, the Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and, possibly, the other republics of Central Asia Define policy recommendations, action plans and strategic guidelines Serve as contact persons for public authorities and politicians from the freight transport sector One of the most important goals of the Amber Coast Logistics project is to enhance the deployment of multimodal transport solutions through improvements in accessibility and by utilizing transport and logistics centres along the ACL transport corridors. Michael Stie Laugesen, FDT Association of Danish Transport and Logistics Centres, Aalborg, Denmark number of areas of activity. One involves looking into the influence of EU regulations on transport organisations and flows of goods. Here, an ongoing monitoring procedure has been put into place to ensure that the latest EU regulations are taken into account in the project work. A second area of activity involves defining the transit potentials in trade with Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan and the Ukraine in order to further Transport corridors examined in the course of the project Aalborg Hamburg Køge Sassnitz Schwerin Elbląg Poznań Berlin Frankfurt (Oder) Ventspils Klaipėda Warsaw Riga Brest Vilnius Minsk Kiev increase the volume of trade between these countries and the EU. Above all, this involves analysing the current flows of goods and investigating the impact of rules and regulations on the transport sector in Belarus. A third area of activity relates to five different perspectives on accessibility as seen from the viewpoint of physical, political, commercial, technological and organisational accessibility. Case studies The project partners involved in this analytical work are also drawing up case studies on improving accessibility and supporting the creation of transnational economic development zones for cross-border freight traffic. The five transport corridors covered by these case studies are: Ventspils > Riga and on to Russia Riga > Vilnius > Minsk and on to Kiev as well as Riga > Smolensk Baltic sea routes Klaipeda > Vilnius > Minsk and on to Russia and the Ukraine Hamburg > Berlin > Warsaw > Brest and on to Minsk 10 11

7 ACCESSIBLE Researching into all aspects of accessibility Five transnational research papers have been produced, each focusing on a specific dimension of accessibility: physical, political, commercial, technological and organisational. These papers describe and analyse these dimensions, and how they each influence the seamless transport of goods in the Baltic Sea Region. All five papers define accessibility as the ability to reach desired services, activities and destinations. From a transport perspective accessibility is therefore seen as the locational advantage of one destination compared to others. In the Baltic Sea Region accessibility is highly affected by the ability to combine sea-based transport with hinterland modes, especially road and rail. Moreover, the creation of sound combined transports is influenced by several of the five accessibility dimensions and reliant on a number of aspects that are analysed in these five papers. The BSR not only faces a number of obvious physical-geographical issues but also suffers from an unbalanced transport system. In the eastern part of the region two of the main features are a lack of good transport links and the domestic-oriented nature of transport decisions and policies in those countries. Poor accessibility is one of the consequences. At a political and administrative level, there is evidence that bureaucracy and integrity issues are particularly influential factors, though there are significant differences within the region. Whereas the EU Member States, and especially Denmark and Germany, are highly accessible, Belarus, Russia and the Ukraine present a less positive picture in political and administrative terms. The political issues For the further work of ACL it was crucial to offer a common knowledge of different dimensions of accessibility. Our research papers give detailed information and furthermore eliminate some established prejudices. Claudia Bosse, Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services, Hamburg, Germany include corruption and democratic deficits whereas the main administrative handicaps are congestion with long waiting times at border crossings and bureaucratic bottlenecks in customs clearance. The lack of capacity, particularly at borders to non-eu countries, and the general backlog in investment in the infrastructure and operation of border crossings are seen by many companies involved in BSR trade as one of the biggest hurdles to the region s economic development. Such administrative and fiscal challenges could be solved by the increased use of information and communications (ICT) technology to monitor cargo movements and process documents, as well as the establishment of new border crossings, infrastructural modernisation of existing ones and harmonisation of import/export regulations and border control procedures. The transport situation in the Amber Coast Logistics region ranges from adequate (seaports and rail networks) to extremely varied (road networks, intermodal supply chains, logistics centres and ICT use). One significant development is the trend to diversification evident in areas such as Gigaliners, environmental standards for seaborne traffic or national toll systems. This is a step backwards from the EU-wide standards that used to give all stakeholders a reliable basis on which to build their business models. Did you know, that... customs processing and waiting times are among the biggest obstacles in cross-border transport because they prolong transport time, increase costs and negatively affect schedule compliance? The organisational study focused on the relationships between the EU on the one hand and Belarus, the Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan on the other. These four countries are investing to consolidate their own position and collaboration with international organisations in the transport and logistics field, especially in the BSR. At the same time, there is a strong demand for enhanced territorial cohesion on the part of the EU towards its eastern neighbours. Border and customs processing obstacles Unaware of prohibitions, restrictions and allowances Inadequate/ ambiguous declarations Corrupt controlling officer Missing/incorrect driver s or vehicle papers While obstacles in the transport of goods in Germany and Denmark are caused by unawareness of prohibitions, restrictions and allowances as well as inadequate declaration of cargo, the triggers for obstacles and their weighting significantly shift with a view to the eastern part of the BSR. Source: CPL Competence in Ports and Logistics, Rostock, Germany 12 13

8 Container transport by rail in Belarus: the broader gauge complicates crossborder traffic MULTIMODAL Strengthening sustainable multimodal transport concepts Strengthening sustainable multimodal transport concepts for the EU-Belarus logistics sector is the main goal of the Conceptual Work Package. Here again, particular attention is being paid to the needs of areas suffering from poor accessibility with a clear focus on concepts to integrate various modes of transport into transport chains. Multimodal transport concepts can be particularly beneficial to remote areas outside the main transport corridors. To this end, the project partners proactively participating in this work group are developing concepts to link the different modes of transport and integrate them into transport chains. The overall goal of these activities is to develop a transnational multimodal action plan that identifies existing obstacles and makes recommendations for sustainable and efficient multimodal transport concepts in the region. The work involved has been divided up into a number of areas of activity: Promotion of multi-modality: This area of activity revolves around macro-economic developments in the region, prospects for the multimodal transport market and the impact on hinterland structures in the ACL region. The aim is to promote multimodality and a modal shift from road to sea by making the best possible use of the existing operational capacities in the region s ports and tapping unused logistical potentials in the hinterland. This applies, in particular, to the EU-Belarus border areas. In addition, this work group is analysing the growth potential of the ACL region up to 2030 and the impact these growth forecasts may have on the transport sector, and in particular multimodal transport chains. Environmental impact of modal shift: The development of innovative operational concepts for multimodal transport chains will have a beneficial impact on the environment through a modal switch from road to rail and water-borne transport. This work group is also striving to enhance awareness of the value of sustainable transport concepts among the general public of the ACL region. Ports operational challenges: Ports in the region face operational challenges in handling multimodal cargoes, particularly in context of the existing hinterland infrastructure. Here, the work group is analysing the current state of the maritime and port hinterland infrastructures and developing transnational strategies to improve hinterland connections to the Amber Coast ports. Multimodal Transport Action Programme: The work group is not only publishing a Multimodal Transport Action Programme for the ACL region but also talking to politicians to heighten their awareness of this issue. Thanks to the joint efforts of all partners we have established a clear picture of the international freight transport situation. We can now take the next step and make things more tangible by offering recommendations on how transport corridors and infrastructure can be improved. Adina Cailliaux, Port of Hamburg Marketing, Hamburg, Germany Future areas of activity This work group also intends to tackle the following tasks: Forecast of seaborne non-containerised traffic between Western and Eastern European ports (incl. hinterland) Analysis of market potential and competition for selected Amber Coast ports (incl. hinterland transit countries) Evaluation of connections between ports and their main hinterland infrastructure network (links to nearest motorway or rail node) Multimodal Transport Action Programme for EU-Belarus trade to promote new multi-modality approaches and increase the efficiency and capacity utilisation of existing multimodal resources 14 15

9 MULTIMODAL Macro-economic development and multimodal cargo flows A study published in December 2012 with the support of the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics in Bremen looked into the macro-economic development and multimodal containerised cargo flows through Amber Coast ports in terms of their origins and hinterland destinations. The growth of the Amber Coast hinterland economies will lead to an increasing volume of direct deepsea traffic in the Amber Coast ports as well as significantly boosting the demand for transhipment in the North Range. This analysis of current traffic flows formed the basis for a forecast of the container demand potential in 2030 and an evaluation of various scenarios that take into account aspects such as economic development in the hinterland of these ports and shipping regulations in the Baltic (e.g. SECA). We are involved in ACL because we want to learn from the other project partners and develop our network contacts. Economic cooperation with the EU plays a big part for the eastern countries. ACL represents a perfect opportunity for us to benefit from synergies between the logistics centres of the Baltic region. Arvydas Vaitkus, Director General, Klaipe da State Seaport Authority Did you know, that... Amber Coast ports handled a total volume of 3.4 million TEU in 2011, of which 2.5 million TEU had their origin or destination in the direct hinterland or transit hinterland economies like Russia, Belarus or Ukraine? CO 2 emissions from Amber Coast hinterland transport are set to rise in line with the growth of traffic unless proactive political measures are taken to shift containers from road to rail, which would result in a slightly lower increase in CO 2 emissions. Amber Coast Ports Container Handling 2011 and Forecast Scenarios 2030 Summary of the study s main findings: Although Eurostat statistics indicate that European trading partners account for the lion s share of the Amber Coast ports maritime traffic, the actual volume of intra- European container traffic handled in these ports is surprisingly low. What the study has shown is that these ports are a vital interface for the global trade of the Amber Coast economies Growth Potential: +161% 8.9 m TEU 8.6 m TEU 9.9 m TEU The volume of containerised cargo handled by the Amber Coast ports in 2011 was 3.4 million TEU. This study shows that this is expected to rise significantly to between 8.6 and 9.9 million TEU by 2030, driven mainly by the rapid expansion of the hinterland economies. The different figures for the predicted growth in containerised cargo traffic were calculated on the basis of three scenarios: 8.6 million TEU is the shift scenario based on likely developments (mainly SECA); 8.9 million TEU is the handling potential based on the IHS global container unit trade forecast; and 9.9 million TEU is the innovation scenario based on assumed political and private interaction/investments increasing the potential for direct calls in Amber Coast ports m TEU 2011 handling 2030 handling potential 2030 shift scenario 2030 innovation scenario Handling potential based on IHS Global container unit trade forecast on country level, shift scenario based on likely developments (mainly SECA), innovation scenario based on assumed political and private interaction/investments increasing the potential for direct calls in Amber Coast ports. Source: ISL

10 Logistics centres and interconnected road and rail networks: One of the ACL project s most important goals is to put multimodal transport concepts into practice CONNECTED Enhancing the logistics connectivity of low-accessibility areas Developing integrated solutions to link remote areas to international cargo flows and integrating logistics centres, freight centres and ports in existing transport chains is the ambitious aim of the work group concerned with implementing the project s proposals. This process of regional logistics implementation necessitates close cooperation with companies in the transport sector. Regional logistics implementation is the all-encompassing climax of the ACL project. For this reason, the implementation work group is not only processing input from the analytical and conceptual work groups but also striving to develop tailor-made solutions for connecting low-accessibility areas to international cargo flows by means of logistics centres, freight villages and Amber Coast ports. These solutions are to be based on the exchange of transnational best practice examples between project partners. Of all the partner countries in this project Belarus is the one that can profit most from the practical application and implementation of regional logistics measures (e.g. through knowledge transfer and best-practice studies) because economically speaking, Belarus is the least-developed country of the six. In terms of purchasing power parity the Belarus economy was only about 60th in the world in recent years and although official growth figures are quite impressive, the country suffered from hyperinflation during In the context of the ACL project and the regional logistics implementation it is promoting, particular mention must be made of a state programme in Belarus to develop the country s logistics system in the period up to The aim of the programme is to develop measures to improve the country s logistics system and create favourable conditions for investors in the logistics and transport infrastructure. Moreover, of the 39 sites in Belarus earmarked for the construction of logistics centres 32 are already under construction. The activities undertaken by the implementation work group are less focused on general macro-economic activities and more on concrete, business-oriented issues relating to the management of logistics services in the region. Only through close operation with companies operating in this transport sector can the relevance and applicability of the various work groups findings be assured. The main results of the implementation work group are to be summed up in guidelines for the development of logistics centres in poorly accessible areas. The main areas of activity at an implementation level are as follows: From regional to local: Transferring the findings of the ACL analyses to specific case studies within the ACL community The business perspective: Working towards a higher degree of accessibility by communicating the project findings to the relevant business community IT solutions for cross-border traffic: Improving accessibility by applying IT solutions in multimodal freight transport to facilitate border crossing procedures Promoting local logistics solutions to enhance the accessibility of remote areas Future areas of activity The ACL project partners are planning the following activities: Marketing material describing the benefits for transport operators of integrating Amber Coast logistics centres into the transport chain Examples of global transport chains that have been re-routed via Amber Coast logistics centres Determining the requirements of international transport companies for extending their logistics services to poorly accessible areas and discussion of these requirements with the business community Development of a web service to promote logistics centres in the Amber Coast region 18 19

11 CONNECTED Facilitating border crossing procedures Measures to improve the logistical integration of badly accessible areas include a package to improve the speed and quality of data exchange. ACL project partners are developing web-based software solutions. Multimodal cargo flows between different countries are subject to a wide range of international, national and even local rules and regulations. If the legislative, organisational and infrastructural differences that exist between EU Member States and their eastern neighbours are not to prove a serious hindrance to increased trade and economic growth, an efficient flow of data is required. The main aim of the so-called EDI Package piloted as part of the ACL project is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of intermodal transport chain management by improving the speed of data exchange and enhancing data quality, as well as reducing the cost and time needed to handle paper documents. This EDI Package is being piloted in an intermodal transport corridor from Poland through the Port of Elblag to Kaliningrad and further east to Belarus and Russia. The first stage of this pilot involves implementing the system for Polish exporters and in the Port of Elblag from where goods are shipped to Kaliningrad. Promoting local logistics solutions Many of today s cargo flows pass by logistics centres that are close to areas of low accessibility. Yet in these remote areas there is little or no knowledge of the logistics services offered at those logistics centres, and the logistics sector is also largely unaware of the areas cargo potential. The ACL project is an opportunity to expand scientific, educational and industrial relations with our foreign partners and have internships in well-known logistics companies so the experience of logistics activities can be disseminated among a wide range of specialists. Dr. Anatoli Molokovitch, School of Business Management and Technology, Minsk, Belarus We participate in the ACL project to develop a dedicated ICT solution for intermodal transport corridors and test an innovative data exchange solution in real intermodal transport chains. Tomasz Dębicki, Institute of Logistics and Warehousing, Poznań, Poland The IT solution under development is a web-based system, a limited version of which can be accessed anywhere, anytime via mobile phones and tablets. Once participating companies have entered, for example, transport or handling orders into the system, their business partners will enjoy instant access to these documents and can respond accordingly. The main benefits of the system include multilanguage support (initially Polish, English, German and Russian), the ability to import and export documents from XML and Excel files, consolidation of transport and handling orders and their status management, and the provision of relevant statistics. Hence, one means of integrating these remote areas into the region s international cargo flows is to ensure the logistics sector is better informed and increase general awareness of their cargo services. The ACL project is striving to promote local logistics solutions by implementing communication measures and developing new services for the logistics industry. For example, a new web-based service is being planned to enable logistics centres, freight villages and Amber Coast ports to communicate any services available on a short-term basis more effectively (e.g. 200 m 2 of roofed storage space available from March to June ). This can lead to a win-win situation for the region s remote areas and logistics service providers. Did you know, that... even in otherwise well-equipped countries web connections in rural areas can be very poor, leading to more cost- and timeintensive paperwork for freight transport players? 20 21

12 The people behind the project Project In the lead partners at half-time Logistics is a people business. The diversity among the partners of the ACL project contributes to a combination of practical and theoretical work and to bring local perspectives together with national and European ones. The spread of the partners: you needmatch the contact Of geographical course the half-time score at a iffootball is only a pointer to how the details of our project partners, please get in touch with us (see And at half time in the game will end. But it is certainly far from insignificant. overleaf for details). ACL project there is every reason to be optimistic. All the project partners are working hard to achieve their goal of connecting remote areas in the Southern and Eastern BSR. SKANDINAVISK TRANSPORT CENTER Port of Klaipeda NPPE Klaipeda Shi Research Centre K GE HAVN PORT OF K GE Claudia Roller, CEO Port of Hamburg Marketing, refering about future perspectives of the Baltic Sea region s economy at a workshop held in Rostock, Germany As the half-time whistle blows, it is a fine time to take stock and see what the ACL project has achieved already. In addition to the progress reported on the previous pages and the on-going work in process, FDT Association one milestone has already of been passed: a functioning transnational network has been established Danish Transport & among logistics players in the Amber Coast community. In the remaining months the 19 project partlogistics Centres ners will continue to work together towards their goal of connecting remote areas in the Southern and Eastern Baltic Sea Region. The project ends in March 2014 with a concluding conference that will take place in Hamburg and be open to the general public. For details see the box below. Aalborg Klaipėda Køge Concluding conference 2014 in Hamburg! Sassnitz Elbląg The Amber Coast Logistics project will terminate in March 2014 and the final conference on the project will Schwerin Hamburg be held in Hamburg, Germany, at the end of March of the project and the final report findings The main will be presented in thefrankfurt city that is home topoznań Germany s biggest seaport. High-ranking representatives of the (Oder) logistics and transport sector, research institutes, ports and public authorities will attend the conference. The Warsz Amber Coast Logistics project invites you to attend the conference and be informed and inspired! Axel Mattern, Executive Board Port of Hamburg Marketing handing over a Port of Hamburg plaque to Dr. Eugenijus Gentvilas, former CEO of Klaipeda State Sea Port Authority The ACL project had a booth of its own at TransRussia 2012 Vent Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services All the latest ACL news on our website Stay in touch with the latest developments in and around the Baltic Sea Region by regularly visiting our website and subscribing on the website to our newsletter. Project partner Gesa Köhler, Ministry of Energy, Infrastructure and State Development, MecklenburgWestern Pomerania, and Sebastian Doderer, Port of Hamburg Marketing, at the 2012 Baltic Sea Region Programme Conference in Lilleström, Norway Project partners visiting a logistics center in Køge, Denmark 22 Institute of Logistics and Warehousing 25

13 The people behind the project Project partners Logistics is a people business. The diversity among the partners of the ACL project contributes to a combination of practical and theoretical work and to bring local perspectives together with national and European ones. The geographical spread of the partners: if you need the contact details of our project partners, please get in touch with us (see overleaf for details). SKANDINAVISK TRANSPORT CENTER Port of Klaipeda NPPE Klaipeda Shipping Research Centre Free Port of Ventspils Authority K GE HAVN PORT OF K GE FDT Association of Danish Transport & Logistics Centres Klaipėda Køge Sassnitz Elbląg Hamburg Schwerin Frankfurt Poznań (Oder) Warszawa Axel Mattern, Executive Board Port of Hamburg Marketing handing over a Port of Hamburg plaque to Dr. Eugenijus Gentvilas, former CEO of Klaipeda State Sea Port Authority The ACL project had a booth of its own at TransRussia 2012 Ventspils Aalborg Claudia Roller, CEO Port of Hamburg Marketing, refering about future perspectives of the Baltic Sea region s economy at a workshop held in Rostock, Germany Latvian Logistics Association Riga Scientific and Technological Park BNTU Polytechnic Minsk Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services Elbla,g Sea Port Authority Project partner Gesa Köhler, Ministry of Energy, Infrastructure and State Development, MecklenburgWestern Pomerania, and Sebastian Doderer, Port of Hamburg Marketing, at the 2012 Baltic Sea Region Programme Conference in Lilleström, Norway Institute of Logistics and Warehousing Project partners visiting a logistics center in Køge, Denmark 22 Belarusian Association of International Forwarders Associated partners 25 associated partners, representing state ministries, logistics centres, public authorities, research institutions and key commercial players, are providing the project with important political support as well as the necessary market insights. For more information see our website.

14 Get in touch with ACL Lead Partner: Port of Hamburg Marketing Marina Rimpo Sebastian Doderer Pickhuben Hamburg Germany Phone: Project Management: PLANCO Consulting GmbH Gunnar Platz gp@planco.de Björn Gabler bg@planco.de Am Waldthausenpark Essen Germany Phone: Communications: BONUM news+marketing GmbH Janina Barz barz@bonum.net Mattentwiete Hamburg Phone: Content Responsibility: Port of Hamburg Marketing Production: BONUM news+marketing, Janina Barz Printing: Zertani GmbH & Co. Die Druckerei KG Images: PoHH, Baltic Sea Forum, Freeport of Riga Authority, fotolia, Freeport of Ventspils, SBMT BSU, BAIF, LINAVA, JTS Rostock, BMVBS, BONUM, Mintrans Belarus This report has been produced with financial assistance of the Federal Programme for Transnational Cooperation of the German Federal Ministry for Transport, Building and Urban Development. Its content is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Ministry. Part-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund and European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument)