Successful applicants to this iX challenge will have the opportunity to apply their technology to develop a novel solution that will have a real life impact for the Port of Tyne, improving operational efficiency, data collection/analysis and control over CO2 emissions.
Successful applicants may have the opportunity to partner with the Port of Tyne to bid for R&D funding to further develop the proposed project and will be allowed site access to demonstrate their solution. There is also the potential to present at a future event as part of Maritime Innovation week 2023.


Within any port there are numerous logistical operations taking place at any one time, the Port of Tyne is no exception. With so many activities undertaken, keeping track of moveable assets and planning their utilisation to optimum levels can be a challenge. This can lead to inefficiencies in operations which, as well as a financial downside, can negatively impact CO2 emissions. A port such as the Port of Tyne may carry out the following (non-exhaustive) list of operations and vehicles carrying out operations:
<ul>
<li>Vessel operation</li>
<li>Cargo handling equipment</li>
<li>Locomotives</li>
<li>Trucks</li>
<li>Warehouse logistics</li>
<li>Lifting</li>
<li>Conveyor belts</li>
<li>Hoppers</li>
</ul>
An example of a logistical flow through the Port of Tyne is the importation of pelletised biomass on behalf of UK power stations. Biomass currently arrives into the port and is then either transported via a range of conveyor belts or a more traditional hopper and truck method.
There is currently some tracking of this process through RFID trackers on the hoppers and trucks, but the data has poor time resolution, and more real-time data collection and analytics are desired.&nbsp;

Background

New solutions are sought to overcome the challenge of tracking the movement of assets through the Port of Tyne. Solutions that utilise Port of Tyne&rsquo;s private 5G network are preferred.&nbsp;
The biomass operation is one of a number of processes and activities ongoing within the port.&nbsp;
Activities in and around the port facilities are generally planned. Planned works include:
<ul>
<li>Bulk, roll-on/roll-off, and container operations</li>
<li>Vessel to quayside discharging of goods</li>
<li>Vessel to flatbed</li>
<li>Flatbed to storage or direct delivery</li>
<li>Vessel-to-hopper discharging of goods</li>
<li>Hopper to truck</li>
<li>Truck to storage</li>
<li>Intersite transfer (between warehouses or storage areas)</li>
<li>Container devanning</li>
<li>General service plant/vehicles - movement around site</li>
</ul>
It is preferable that any proposed solution could be applied to multiple processes to manage vehicle operations taking place both internally and externally (though there may be limitations for indoor processes using 5G).
While not limiting the technologies from solution providers, it is expected that solutions would consider innovations from some of the following areas:
<ul>
<li>Internet of Things</li>
<li>Digital, databases and programming</li>
<li>Artificial Intelligence</li>
<li>RFID tagging</li>
<li>Digital mapping</li>
<li>Bar code or camera readers</li>
<li>Camera systems with product ID</li>
<li>Vision devices</li>
<li>Warehousing</li>
<li>Logistics management</li>
<li>Food product warehousing</li>
<li>Aerospace</li>
<li>Automotive</li>
<li>Manufacturing</li>
<li>Space and Satellites</li>
</ul>

Challenge

6ab4b704-fc39-4ab2-b78f-5f071a3985f4/TyneDock.JPG

Successful applicants will be given the opportunity to:
<ul>
<li>Pitch their solutions to a panel of representatives from the Port of Tyne at an Innovate UK KTN facilitated session</li>
<li>Potential to partner with the Port of Tyne in an R&amp;D grant-funded competition to develop solutions further</li>
<li>Develop a potential business collaboration</li>
<li>Have a potential speaking/panel slot at Maritime Innovation Week 2023 (Date TBC)</li>
</ul>

Rewards & Benefits

The long-term aim of the Port of Tyne is to have complete oversight of port activities including asset tracking. There is a preference to place tracking equipment on the assets themselves, although other solutions would be considered.
Current assets in the port include:
<ul>
<li>Reach Stackers: 4</li>
<li>Empty Handlers: &nbsp;2</li>
<li>Harbour Mobile Cranes:&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2 x Gottwald (Portal cranes) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 4 x LHM 320 (Liebherr mobile cranes- please consider that two are for sale). &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2 x LHM 550 (Liebherr mobile cranes - a third crane will arrive in March) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1 x Liebherr Container crane.</li>
<li>Fork Lifts: 30</li>
<li>VNA&rsquo;s: 9</li>
<li>Loading Shovels: 3</li>
<li>Trailers: 25 skeleton roll mafi trailer.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Some of these assets have existing telemetry, incorporation or enhancement of these systems would be beneficial. Further details are to be provided prior to the pitch presentation for successful applicants.
All technologies that utilise the Port of Tyne&rsquo;s 5G network would be in scope.

Functional Requirements

Any solution must be able to track assets down to the metre range. Greater precision is a bonus.
Any solution must be able to operate at the over-standard 5G connectivity.

Technical Requirements

Solutions must be operable in all weather conditions and temperatures expected in a UK port.&nbsp;
Due to the nature of operations, there may be the presence of dust and particulates within the port so any solution should have some level of dust resistance.
Some areas within the port are designated ATEX zones (ATEX refers to the hazard of explosive atmospheres occurring in the workplace due to the presence of flammable gas or combustible dust mixed in the air, which can give rise to the risk of explosion), so ATEX rated solutions may be an advantage.

Operating Conditions

Launch of the Competition: 17 January Deadline for applications: 20 February Notification to finalists and unsuccessful applications: 2 March Dates for Pitching session(s): 14th or 15th March 2023
Please note that the pitch day will take place in person at the Port of Tyne Maritime Innovation Hub. Therefore we advise to make sure the team is available on those dates. If you are successful, we will provide you with further details closer to the date.

Deployment Timescale

Solutions that can provide a tangible return on investment will be considered. Likewise, those that provide significant operational efficiency, health and safety benefits, or assist with the transition to net zero.

Cost Requirement & Market Opportunity

All solutions to be considered that utilise the Port of Tyne&rsquo;s private 5G network.

Out of Scope

This opportunity is open to both academic and industrial practitioners.
<ul>
<li>Collaborative solutions (B2B and B2R&amp;D) are valid applications. If collaborative solutions are being tabled, a single lead organisation needs to register the application. &nbsp;This organisation can be either an industrial or academic partner.</li>
<li>Industrial participants should be established businesses, start-ups, SMEs or individual entrepreneurs</li>
<li>All organisations participating in this programme including members of collaborations not registering as lead organisations need to be UK based or have the intention to set up a UK base.</li>
<li>Technology-based and dependant solutions are expected to be around the TRL5 + (more on Technology Readiness Levels)</li>
</ul>
Applications will be assessed on:
<ul>
<li>Relevance to the topic</li>
<li>Innovative nature of the subject</li>
<li>Coherence of the proposed business model</li>
<li>Feasibility/ economic viability</li>
<li>Development potential</li>
<li>Maturity of project/solution</li>
<li>Ability to launch project quickly/Ease of implementation</li>
<li>Price/quality ratio</li>
</ul>

Eligibility & Assessment Criteria

<ul>
<li>Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with Solution Provider(s). Where any new IP generation is envisaged, it will be subject to the mutual IP agreement of the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.</li>
<li>Any commercial deployment of a transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership, or direct investment, will be subject to the commercial agreement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.</li>
<li>Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger. (This would be expected to be after company selection, it is suggested that details of IP be not disclosed, Focus on the outcomes of the technology proposed).</li>
<li>Innovate UK and Innovate UK KTN do not take any share of IP ownership or enter into commercial ventures through the iX programme.</li>
</ul>

IP & Potential Commercial Route

Yes, the port of Tyne is looking at localising and tracking the movement of the assets. A digital twin, could be an application.

Does the Port of Tyne want to focus on solutions beyond the localisation of their assets? Are you looking at visualising their real-time movement in a digital twin? 

Yes, this could be included in the project proposal.

Would it be desired to develop a virtual model of the port updated live by the assets themselves?  

Yes, this is the long term ambition.

Does the port of Tyne aim in making the assets autonomous in the long run?

&nbsp;The Port of Tyne is happy to consider focused approaches.

Is the Port of Tyne looking for suppliers to provide a solution that covers all aspects or can the provider focus on elements of the technology?

The Port of Tyne has a basic RFID system that tracks some aspects of the wood pellet operation, but the information given by this system only considers a small part of the full cycle of the vehicles. &nbsp;We would hope to replace this technology with a 5G alternative that tracks the vehicles in real time.

Is there already a management system that monitors some vehicles onsite?

The Port of Tyne P5G network does not contain mmWave because the spectrum is not available; however, this could be deployed at some future point. Please, note that the core and the basebands would be software upgradable, whereas the radios would need to be added.

Does 5G network support millimetre waves (mmWave) found in frequency bands above 24GHz?

Yes, internet access is possible from the P5G network. In fact, in the PoT case, there is a cross-connection between the P5G network and a private network where internet access is permitted. The port uses internet access for remote management and monitoring. A device on the P5G network could also be granted access to the internet. It comes down to IP routing between the two networks and firewall rules which are under PoTs control.

Would the 5G network allow access to the Internet/private network?

Does the Port of Tyne have any existing software systems reading, processing or analysing that data RFID or CAN-bus data? If so, can they share any information with us? 

The 5G network is not yet operational at the Port &ndash; &nbsp;it will go live in April/May.

What information can the Port of Tyne share about the 5G installation at the port?

The network will cover the south bank of the port estate.

Does  the Port of Tyne have a coverage map?

Potential black spots have been identified as part of the initial survey, the placement of the N77 units has been configured to minimise these.
&nbsp;

Is the Port of Tyne aware of any existing black spots?

Hardware will need to be supplied as part of the use-case.
&nbsp;

Are there any data modems already in place, or will the company collaborating  need to procure any hardware?

It is anticipated that the end result will be a hybrid model, with some equipment owned by the port and some provided via suppliers.
&nbsp;

Does the Port of Tyne control the hardware themselves, or is it provided by a 3rd party?

Yes, Wi-Fi is available inside the offices and warehousing, and there is a fibre network across the site with an internal ethernet infrastructure.
&nbsp;

Does the Port of Tyne have any other network infrastructure available? (e.g. Wi-Fi, Ethernet, etc.)

Yes, radios are widely used across sites.
&nbsp;

Are there any analogue communications in use? (e.g. portable radios, or in-vehicle comms)

This has been discussed, but it is not currently viewed as one of the initial use cases. &nbsp;That may change due to recent discussion around replacement/upgrade of current radios.
&nbsp;

Is the Port of Tyne looking for these to be integrated into any solution? 

Port of Tyne used Commtracv4 TOS suppliers by TBA for its bulk handling operation and Autostore, also from TBA, for its Container handling.
&nbsp;

Does the Port of Tyne use any terminal operations software? If so, could they share any information about what they are using?

Yes, that would be the end vision, although conversations would need to be held with the system suppliers regarding integration.
&nbsp;

Would the companies collaborating be able to integrate with those systems?

VTS systems, transport systems, rail freight, maintenance systems, environmental sensors as well as standard back office systems.
&nbsp;

What other kinds of softwares are in-use? (e.g. Dock management systems, maintenance systems, office platforms.)

The Port of Tyne takes safety very seriously. &nbsp;All aspects of the business are subject to frequent safety audits. Safety equipment compliance is a mandatory requirement.
For any proposed solution, does the Port of Tyne have a procurement process in place for purchase of any software or hardware? Does the Port of Tyne have a budget? Are there any constraints on the way equipment is to be procured?&nbsp;
Any supplier would need to comply with the Port of Tyne&rsquo;s vendor qualification process. &nbsp;Details around budgets have been supplied as part of the overall challenge statement. The main requirement is that a return on investment is demonstrated.

Are there parts of the port where only safe equipment needs to be used? 

Each department utilises planning systems in some format to cover equipment usage, maintenance and manpower.
&nbsp;

What kind of planning systems are already present?

The provision of quayside equipment is included as part of the vessel plan per visit.
&nbsp;

Are they used for planning movements of equipment to dockside to catch specific vessels?

The Port of Tyne has some predictive maintenance solutions in place, but this is an area we could improve upon.
&nbsp;

Is the Port of Tyne looking to include predictive maintenance into any solution? 

Yes, the new system is due for delivery in Q2 2023
&nbsp;

Does the Port of Tyne use vessel movement planning software to track the vessels moving in and out of the port?

The initial phase of the 5G roll out will only cover the south bank estate. &nbsp;The north bank (passengers) may be added should a suitable use case present itself.
&nbsp;

Is the Port of Tyne looking for a solution that only covers the commercial side of the port, or is the passenger side to be considered as well? 

There are numerous feasibility studies ongoing around automation, although at present there are no firm timelines for implementation.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

The Port of Tyne has a longer-term goal of automation of equipment. Does the organisation have a timeframe in mind for this, and is any of the equipment at the port already either autonomous, or remotely controllable? 

For instance, is there any requirement &nbsp;for network segmentation, air gapping, or compartmentalisation as well as firewalling between the internal network, Internet, and 5G network?
The cargo types would not reflect the data restrictions in place in the port, however any system needs to be appropriately secured to ensure the integrity of our data, and to protect against cyber incidents.
&nbsp;

Does any of the cargo handled at the port mean that there are any data restrictions, or security requirements on any of the data or networks present? 

No, the Port of Tyne does not have any telemetry other than RFID
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Does any of the port equipment currently have any data or telemetry other than RFID?

Not at present, the system is currently only used for one small operation and it is providing limited benefits.

Could the Port of Tyne provide any information about the RFID system currently in place?

Yes, however we would need additional information prior to agreeing installation, such as communication requirements and security.
&nbsp;

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