Downstream Innovation Leads Delivery of Port Innovation Success

Downstream Innovation has been working with Cambridge Management Consulting and L Marks to deliver the Thames Freeport 5G Innovation programme for the last 12 months with Matt as the strategic programme lead.  Last week Thames Freeport revealed the winning technologies for deployment at Tilbury, DP World London Gateway and Ford to deliver 25% productivity improvements following a Demo Day held on Thursday 26th March. The programme brought together global businesses, high-growth scale-ups and public sector partners to address real-world challenges and accelerate UK competitiveness. Thames Freeport’s partners, Port of Tilbury, DP World London Gateway and Ford Dagenham, selected the winning technologies, which have been piloted across their sites.

Supported by Thames Freeport’s £4m investment into 5G infrastructure through Verizon, as well as £1.2m invested directly into the Connectivity Lab by the Freeport, each innovation is expected to deliver at least a 25% increase in productivity.

From over 140 applicants, Port of Tilbury, DP World London Gateway and Ford chose eight companies to test their technologies in live commercial environments across the Freeport. The Demo Day was the culmination of this process, where applicants presented the results from the pilots. The programme is accelerating and streamlining the typical procurement process for new technologies by over 100%, whilst reducing risk for the private sector to adopt technologies which increase efficiency, productivity and lower environmental impacts.

Following a deliberation process which followed the Demo Day, The Port of Tilbury are launching an extended pilot with Aible, which uses AI-based analysis to equip port teams to make better and faster decisions to improve efficiency and productivity. They also chose to continue the pilot with Allread, which uses CCTV-based AI imaging to improve the tracking of containers arriving and leaving the site by rail, which reduces hardware and maintenance costs, as well as time spent monitoring container movement. The Port of Tilbury is also extending a pilot with Streamwide, which provides a continuous and seamless communication platform connecting all parties across the port. This enables better responses to alerts and helps to drive operational efficiency.

Ford also chose to launch an extended pilot with Aible, and are implementing AI Agents to understand and improve process flows around vehicle movements. A pilot was also extended with Focalx, whose mobile device-based AI analysis enhances the process of inspecting vehicles arriving and leaving the site, to reduce and standardise disputes. Ford also piloted with Nokia, who use 5G-enabled cameras to provide fully immersive visual and aural operational spatial awareness in locations not currently covered by Ford’s existing capabilities. Nokia are in continued discussions with Ford and Port of Tilbury.

DP World London Gateway was introduced to Conroo and Purple Transform through the Connectivity Lab, who they are continuing to engage with. Conroo provides a smartphone-based app to track container arrivals at the port gates, which is designed to speed-up lorry load and discharge times, improve routing and reduce congestion around the port. Purple Transform use existing CCTV data to automate context-specific PPE detection, to improve staff welfare and safety around heavy plant, machinery and vehicles. 

DP World also piloted MapBI, which built a digital twin of the port’s container inventory, to reveal operational insights to support improved loading/discharge, and inventory planning. MapBI are continuing to engage with all sites. 

The Connectivity Lab is part of Thames Freeport’s ongoing strategy as a Next Generation Growth Zone to grow globally-competitive industrial sectors and improve productivity. The model gives global companies and scale-ups a faster route into major industrial sites, while giving operators a low-risk way to test and adopt new technology. It also speeds up the process of identifying and then deploying innovations, and strengthens the UK’s competitiveness in advanced logistics and manufacturing. 

Stuart Rimmer, interim CEO at Thames Freeport said: “As the UK’s Next Generation Growth Zone, Thames Freeport is focused on turning innovation into deployment. The Connectivity Lab shows how new technologies can be tested in live operating environments and adopted at pace. This is about improving productivity, safety and resilience across critical industrial sites.” 

Alan Shaoul, UK Chief Financial Officer – Ports & Terminals, DP World, said: “At DP World, we’re focused on continuously improving how our operations perform and how we support our customers across their supply chains. Technology is an important part of that, and the Connectivity Lab gives us a useful opportunity to assess new solutions from Conroo and Purple Transform in a live operational setting before taking decisions on wider adoption.” 

Ross McKissock, Director of Unitised, Port of Tilbury at Port of Tilbury said: “Being part of the Connectivity Lab has enabled us to run an initial pilot and an extended pilots with both Aible and Allread, which will expand our data analysis and container tracking capabilities, ultimately to drive better decisions, efficiency and cost savings. The Connectivity Lab has enables us to pilot these technologies at speed. We’re proud to have been a part of this program which will unlock efficiencies and sustainability for trade and industry across the UK and ultimately enhance the performance of the UK on a global scale.” 

Daniel Saunders, CEO at L Marks, said: “The pathway to procurement, in port environments, can take years because at this scale, every decision carries commercial and operational weight. The Lab cut that to weeks by generating the evidence before the commitment is made, so operators no longer have to bet on a technology they have never seen perform. Seeing the trial, as well as the ROI specific to their business case, is what drives adoption and the productivity gains that follow.”

 For more on the Innovation programme:

https://itbrief.co.uk/story/thames-freeport-names-winners-in-connectivity-lab-trials

https://www.porttechnology.org/thames-freeport-ai-5g-trials/