Sustainable and smart operations in port and maritime logistics

We are grateful for the Impact Award, which strengthens the meaningfulness of our work. Responsibility is at the core of everything in our business, which is why our company exists in the first place. 

5 December, 2023

Where did Awake.AI originate and what is the company’s goal?

Five years ago, when Awake.AI was founded, our team was at Rolls Royce developing remote and autonomous ships. We realized that smart ships would have to wait in port for long periods of time, and the Port of Rotterdam was looking for a team that could help them digitalize and automate their port call processes. We received growth engine funding from Business Finland in order to develop an entire smart harbor ecosystem, which is how Awake.AI was born.

We offer AI-enhanced software solutions for ports and shipping. Our mission is to lead port and maritime logistics towards having more sustainable and intelligent operations because right now their operations are neither sustainable nor intelligent. Most processes are manual: plans are made using Excel or pen and paper. Operators only know what is going to happen a day in advance, and e-mail, telephone, or even fax are used to communicate. As a result, ships wait in port for about 40% of their time and about 40% of capacity remains unused. Our goal is to optimize logistics, which is also the most cost-effective and fastest way to reach our emission targets. In concrete terms, we aim to reduce global shipping emissions by 10% by 2030.

Where is the greatest demand for your services now?

At the moment, the greatest demand is for time-bound solutions as shipping companies need real-time information to improve the efficiency of their operations. AI can predict if schedules are delayed and anticipate the benefits of making attempts to catch up with schedules.

We are a technological enabler in this joint exercise between ports and different logistics operators. For shipping companies, it means higher turnover and profit as they can focus on their core business and reduce manual work and unnecessary fuel consumption. This creates a positive and multiple beneficial effect that ultimately also reduces greenhouse gas emissions throughout the value chain and industry.

What has been your biggest lesson along the way and what does the future of Awake.AI look like?

We’ve learned that sometimes looking back is a good thing. Our company was founded at the end of 2018, after which the coronavirus hit. The prevailing global situation, the war in Ukraine, and rising interest rates have also disciplined our operations. However, we are positive about the future and are constantly developing the services we offer. Our next innovation, “Digital port call”, will be launched in early 2024. We see current operators and software suppliers like our company as our customers, not competitors, because together we can move things forward faster.

What does the Impact Award mean to you?

We are grateful for the Impact Award, which strengthens the meaningfulness of our work. Responsibility is at the core of everything in our business, which is why our company exists in the first place. It is great to see how our offspring also understand the significance and impact of emissions when considering how and why Awake.AI wants to save the planet.

 

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Awake.AI in a nutshell

2018 Awake.AI is established.

2019 Business Finland provides growth engine funding, and the Port of Rotterdam becomes Awake.AI’s first international customer.

2020 The Smart Port as a Service platform and application are launched.

2021 Awake.AI develops the AI-based SaaS services (which Fintraffic introduced in all Finnish ports).

2022 AI optimizes Hamburg port schedules and automatically tells everyone concerned the optimal arrival and departure times 24/7. 

2023 Development continues; the company launches an “Amazon” for ports, a marketplace functionality that automates all buying and selling of port services.