The two port authorities of Hamburg and Halifax have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a joint maritime innovation network platform during the GreenTech for Ports and Terminals Conference 2023.

The PIER and homePORT Hamburg set up the platform as an “Open Innovation Platform” to exchange best practices, solutions, and challenges.

The PIER is a global centre of excellence for research and collaboration in port innovation, planning, and strategy in Halifax, Canada.

The homePORT is an innovation campus located in the centre of the Port of Hamburg, Germany.

Jens Meier, CEO of the Hamburg Port Authority and Allan Gray, President and CEO of the Halifax Port Authority, inked the MoU amid the GreenTech for Ports and Terminals Conference 2023 on 21 February.

According to the two port authorities, the objectives and visions of The PIER and homePORT are very similar.

Both organisations want to reinforce their collaboration to produce added value as the two innovation ecosystems have a similar orientation.

“The digital cooperation in the field of innovation will now be concretized and intensified through this partnership,” the Port of Hamburg reported.

This deal comes several months after Air Products and Mabanaft announced they will build Germany’s first large-scale, green energy import terminal in the Port of Hamburg.