Collaboration Leads to Success – Core Themes of the Sustainable Flow Seminar in Riga

The Sustainable Flow project hosted a seminar for port terminal and maritime industry representatives, this time in Riga on April 25^th, 2025. With a focus on the development of the project’s digital tool, pilot ports and collaboration, the seminar provided key stakeholders insights into the project progress.

The seminar showcased the status and development of the Sustainable Flow Digital Tool so far, which will be tested by the project’s seven pilot ports to ensure it meets port-specific needs. The tool, which features a real-time emissions reporting network and a decision-making tool, is being designed with scalability and adaptability in mind to facilitate wider implementation. The decision-making tool gives added value to the digital tool by estimating the environmental and economic impact of different energy efficiency and renewable energy scenarios. This will support ports in their sustainability efforts.

An essential part in the development of the digital tool is the seven pilot ports of the Sustainable Flow project. The project partners gave a brief introduction on the pilot ports and their sustainability efforts: ports of Pori and Rauma from Finland, port of Mariehamn from Åland, ports of Norrköping and Oxelösund from Sweden, port Tallinn from Estonia and port Riga from Latvia are all part of the project. With each port differing in their operations, level of digitalization and sustainability reporting, the goal is to find the optimal digital solution that suits all.

Strong cooperation and communication with the pilot ports are crucial for the success of the digital tool. This was also highlighted in the seminar by Cathrin Merino, Project Manager from Swedish Confederation of Transport Enterprises (TPF), who presented the Swedish pilot ports:

– Our close collaboration with the pilot ports has been a key part of the project. By working side by side – through regular dialogue, joint site visits, and shared reflections – we’ve identified solutions that support digital development and resonate with day-to-day operations. It’s been as much about building mutual understanding and trust as about data and tools, and that has made a real difference.

After the presentations, discussion turned to the sustainability challenges and opportunities of the maritime sector. Attention was brought especially to the importance of real-time CO₂ emissions monitoring across port and ship operations as a key method to support the reduction of emissions in maritime logistics.

The workshop closed with Deniss Bickovs, Project Manager from International Transport Development Association (ITDA), stating:

– Let’s build next-generation emission visibility and smart transport system – together.

Thank you to all the speakers and participants! More workshops are in the horizon of the Sustainable Flow project so stay tuned!
 
Presentations:

Sustainable Flow project presented by Hanna Kajander, Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK)
Sustainable Flow Digital Tool presented by Maiju Kaski, Fintraffic
CO₂ Reporting from 2026: Key Overview presented by Ieva Demjanenko, ITDA
Port of Mariehamn presented by Mattias Eriksson, Åland University of Applied Sciences
Ports of Norrköping and Oxelösund presented by Cathrin Merino, TPF
Sustainable Flow WP2 presented by Seçil Gülmez, Tallinn University of Technology
Port of Pori and Port of Rauma presented by Heikki Koivisto, SAMK
ITDA and Port of Riga presented by Deniss Bickovs, ITDA

Writers and editors: Meri-Maaria Salo & Veera Iisakkala