Rauma Maritime Network Day: Moving Towards Even More Intelligent and Environmentally Conscious Maritime Logistics

A group of people at Maritime Logistics Research Centre's new premises — Maritime Logistics Research Centre at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences has now an official premises that got many visitors during the Rauma Maritime Network Day. Photo: Krista Valkonen

Sustainable development and digitalisation – these two themes were the common thread running through the seminar held as part of the Rauma Maritime Network Day 2024 which was held on November 7, 2024 in Rauma, Finland. They are also the core themes of the Sustainbale Flow project which aims at reducing CO2 emissions in its pilot ports and to develop a digital tool to support more sustainable decision-making.

At the seminar, Sustainable Flow Project Manager Heikki Koivisto presented the activities of the Maritime Logistics Research Centre. Among other things, Koivisto discussed the ways in which the Research Centre is responding to the challenges of digitalisation, and green and blue growth.

The speech was enlivened by memories of real life and maritime history. Koivisto believes that digitalisation will certainly influence what is seen as good seafaring practice in the future, as perceptions of it have changed over time.

– For example, it was not so many decades ago that the right thing to do was to dispose ship-generated waste into the sea instead of taking it to port waste collections, Koivisto said, describing a mindset that has completely changed since.

Significant Benefits through the Use of AI

Karno Tenovuo, founding member and CEO of Awake.AI, spoke at the seminar on AI in maritime logistics. He said the AI solutions developed by the company can reduce months of planning work to just hours. Machine learning is used, which means a huge amount of data is constantly being analysed.

Tenovuo also summed up what is important to keep in mind in the current mental atmosphere, where the enthusiasm for AI solutions has reached unprecedented proportions.

– Not AI for AI’s sake, but for measurable benefits, he said.

The Maritime Network Day 2024 was held for the fifth time at the SAMK campus in Rauma, Merimäki, and included a trade fair. The day brought visitors to Merimäki, from students to industry professionals. The Seaside Campus concept was responsible for organising the event, in cooperation with the Rauma Chamber of Commerce, Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Maritime Logistics Research Centre and Winnova.