IWI-Students again winners of the 5th PEMA Student ChallengeIWI celebrates the third PEMA victory!

29 June 2017, by Giselind Werner

Photo: LH UHH

from the left: Robert Stahlbock (IWI), Leonard Heilig (IWI), Bernd Strehl, Christopher Werning, Johanna Klaßen, Philipp Doose, Carla Schäkel.

Students of the Institute of Information Systems (IWI) have won the 5th PEMA Student Challenge with the topic „Digital Transformation for Ports and Terminals“ and received the a prize of 1000 Euros. Moreover, the team was invited to present their solution in front of leading industry organizations from the field of terminal operations at the PEMA Autumn Members Meeting in Tampere (Finland). The final took place on the 29.06.2017 at the TOC 2017 in Amsterdam.

The winners Philipp Doose, Johanna Klaßen, Carla Schäkel, Bernd Strehl and Christopher Werning presented a concept and simulation results for a data-driven dynamic truck appointment system, which improves the planning of truck appointments based on realtime data, big data analytics, and optimization in order to improve gate operations at container terminals. The students conducted interviews with main stakeholders in the Port of Hamburg to identify problems with current solutions. The numerical results of the simulation experiments, performed by using an implemented prototype and different scenarios, show the huge potential for improvement. The approach particularly supports flexible planning, which is continously adapted to current circumstances. This allows not only to reduce waiting times for delayed or overpunctual trucks, but also improves the utilization of resources in the container terminal. As a result, the increasing planning  reliability provides a foundation for improving the planning of subsequent processes in a container terminal.

The group of students was supervised by Leonard Heilig and Robert Stahlbock, who already won the final with student groups in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The head of the institute, Professor Stefan Voß, as well as other members of the IWI provided recommondations and advice to the students. The other two student teams in this year’s final came from the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) and the Blekinge Institute of Technology (Sweden). The judging panel, consisting of the experts Jan Cuppens (Director Global Engineering at DP World), Oscar Pernia (Vice President, Operational Innovation, ATOM Labs, Navis) and Yvo Saanen (Commercial Director, TBA), emphasized in particular the structured and problem-oriented approach and implementation as well as the practical relevance and applicability of the presented solution.

For further information please contact Mr. Leonard Heilig and Dr. Robert Stahlbock.