On April 15, in the framework of the German-Latvian Port Days in Hamburg, the Maritime Digital Innovation Demo Day took place, where innovative solutions – digital and autonomous technologies for port efficiency, safety and security – jointly created by Latvian and German partners were presented.
“What started with a visit and a signature is now becoming visible and tangible: this Demo Day shows how the partnership transforms into practical solutions. Hamburg and Riga combine technological excellence with a clear ambition to make our ports smarter, more efficient and future-ready. This is not about discussing innovations, but about implementing them together. In particularly challenging times, one thing is clear: those who work together move forward. Our partnership sends a powerful signal to the Baltic Sea region and to a strong, united Europe,” said Dr Melanie Leonhard, Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor, and Innovation of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
The demonstrated maritime digital innovations were created as a result of the German-Latvian Memorandum of Understanding on Digital Innovation and Resilience in Ports.
“Ports are a critical component of national and international infrastructure, where the introduction of new technologies is essential not only for strengthening safety and security, but also for boosting efficiency and the ability to adapt to future requirements. Digital and autonomous technologies are the future of port management, and its successful progress is ensured by the unwavering confidence of the ports of Riga and Hamburg in the digital future and constant support for innovation, shared by all partners of the Memorandum,” said Minister of Transport Atis Švinka at the opening of the Demo Day
LVR Flote, together with colleagues from the Port of Hamburg, is developing automated hydrographic data processing solutions, while, in collaboration with the Hamburg Flotte and industry expert ISM GmbH, the “Hybrid Fleet Insight” solution for more sustainable management of hybrid vessels is being developed.
“Today we have presented the progress achieved through cooperation between Latvian and German partners in developing practical digital solutions to the current challenges facing the ports of Riga and Hamburg. This is a proof that port development and sustainability rely not only on technology but also on the ability to collaborate. For LVR Flote, this is an opportunity to develop safer, smarter and more efficient port technical services by combining maritime professional expertise with digital innovations. Our jointly developed solutions are useful tools for Riga and Hamburg, and we are confident that they will benefit other ports as well,” emphasized Kaspars Ozoliņš, Member of the Board of LVR Flote.
The co-created “Hybrid Fleet Insight” project aims to improve ship operational efficiency, reduce use of resources and promote more sustainable fleet management by analyzing hybrid vessel operational data. The developed digital solution, presented at the Demo Day event, will help crews, technicians and management make data-based decisions regarding vessel operating modes, battery system usage and maintenance.
Within the framework of the Memorandum, LVR Flote, together with hydrographers of the Port of Hamburg and researchers from Riga Technical University (RTU), are working to develop a more efficient exchange of hydrographic data, promoting a more rational use of resources. Employing DIII & CHICAGO vessel of the Hamburg Flotte and the USV OTTER – an unmanned survey vehicle (drone) of LVR Flote, solutions for automation and processing of hydrographic data, that speed up data exchange, reduce manual workload, and improve the efficiency of hydrographers’ work, were presented in Hamburg.
During the demo event, LMT Group presented a private 5G network solution for ports, demonstrating how high-performance connectivity can become the basis for an efficient and digitized port ecosystem, and how a private 5G network can ensure fast, secure and uninterrupted data flow throughout the port area. LMT group also presented a computer vision solution – it uses artificial intelligence to analyze real-time video and convert it into structured data. This makes it possible for ports to calculate CO₂ emissions, identify processes with the greatest environmental impact, and make data-driven decisions to achieve sustainability goals.
“Latvia has all the prerequisites to be internationally competitive in the development of smart port solutions – we have strong digital competence, engineering knowledge and close cooperation with the industry. The computer vision and private 5G network solutions developed by LMT Group allow ports to back their development with the actual data. Recent presentation in the Port of Hamburg confirms that innovations created in Latvia are able to compete and be exported to the world’s largest ports,” said Juris Binde, President of LMT Group.
The port infrastructure monitoring section has demonstrated drone solutions that use computer vision technologies and are adapted to the needs of ports. The R&D department of the Hamburg Port Authority presented SPOT, a robot dog that helps to carry out structure inspections of bridges, tunnels and other hard-to-reach places, as well as an aerial drone for inspections of infrastructure and structures at high altitudes. Latvian company SUBmerge Baltic presented its underwater drone solution.
During the Demo Day, German and Latvian partners exchanged experience in the development of drone technologies, and within the framework of further MoU cooperation it is planned to continue drone testing in both ports. Thus a larger volume of data across various environments might be collected, which is essential for the further development of artificial intelligence and computer vision algorithms.
About the Memorandum of Understanding
On 19 June 2025, an important Memorandum of Understanding on Digital Innovation and Resilience in Ports (MoU) was signed by Latvian and German public and private sector partners to promote cooperation and digital innovation in maritime technologies. The MoU was signed by the Port of Riga, the Hamburg Port Authority, LVR Flote, Flotte Hamburg GmbH & Co. KG, LMT Group, and the Electronic Communications Office of Latvia.
Latvian and German partners have a long history of cooperation in the port sector. The MoU is the next step and a targeted format of cooperation in order to jointly find digital solutions to address the challenges of the ports of Riga and Hamburg.
Within the framework of the Memorandum, key challenges and four work packages were identified, and relevant working groups were established to develop innovative technological solutions. The purpose of the Demo Day was to present the interim results of technological solutions created by the working groups.
One of the initiators of the Memorandum was the subsidiary company of the Port of Riga Authority – LVR Flote, a pioneer in Latvia and the Baltic region in the introduction, use, and testing of innovative marine technologies. Maritime innovation and 5G solutions are the main areas in which LVR Flote has developed cooperation with Latvia’s innovation and technology ecosystem, and this cooperation has expanded to include partners from Hamburg.
