Welcome to MLS (English website is currently under construction)

On 1–2 October 2026, the partners of the EU-funded ZERO C PROJECT gathered in Albania for their final meeting. After three years, the project is now coming to an end, which made it a good moment to review its achievements and discuss the continued use of its results.Zero C aimed to strengthen universities in the Western Balkans in preparing future professionals for decarbonised maritime transport and port logistics.At the Institute of Maritime Logistics (MLS) at Hamburg University of Technology, we contributed in three key areas:🔹 Identifying the skills and competencies logistics professionals need to support the sustainable transformation of the maritime sector.🔹 Training teaching staff in sustainable maritime and port logistics.🔹 Developing and testing practical teaching formats and course content together with our partners.Marvin Kastner and Andreas Mohr represented MLS at the final meeting, where the international partners reviewed their joint work and planned how to embed the developed concepts in teaching beyond the project.Thank you to all our partners Aleksander Moisiu University, Univerzitet Crne Gore, Universiteti Teknologjik 'Ismail Qemal Vlora', National Technical University of Athens, Technische Universität Hamburg, Environmental Protection Agency of Montenegro, Drejtoria e Pergjitshme Detare GMD, ITS Academy Mobilità, Durres Chamber Commerce and Industry and Chamber of Economy of Montenegro for three years of inspiring collaboration, open exchange and shared commitment to education for a greener maritime sector! We look forward to staying connected and building on what we have achieved together. 🤝Zero C is funded by the European Union’s Erasmus programme (project number: 101128747).

Earlier this week, we had the pleasure of celebrating a very special achievement: Nicole Nellen successfully completed her doctoral thesis at Technische Universität Hamburg, titled “Minimierung von Containerumschlägen auf Seehafenterminals durch Direktumschläge” (Minimizing Container Handling Operations at Seaport Terminals through Direct Transshipment).Nicole has been a valued colleague at the Institute of Maritime Logistics, and we are delighted to see her reach this important milestone. It was wonderful to celebrate this special occasion and recognize the dedication and perseverance that brought her here.In her research, Nicole investigated how direct container transfers between vessels and trucks could help reduce handling operations at seaport terminals. Using a discrete-event simulation model, she explored the potential to reduce the number of container handling operations and the required straddle carriers, while also examining the challenges caused by delayed truck arrivals. Her findings highlight both the opportunities of this approach and the complexity of synchronizing processes across the maritime supply chain.Dear Nicole, congratulations on this outstanding academic achievement! We wish you all the very best for the future and hope you take great pride in everything you have accomplished. 🥂 

Our Institute Director and current dean of our school Dekanat MWT - TUHH, Carlos Jahn, officially opened this year's Hamburg International Conference of Logistics (HICL). It was an inspiring event filled with cutting-edge research, valuable discussions and great networking opportunities in the field of logistics and supply chain management.With 83 participants from 14 countries, 57 presentations and two keynotes, HICL 2026 brought together researchers and practitioners from around the world. On the first day, four of our team members presented their research findings:🔹João Pedro Oberhauser Tavares Braga presented a cross-continental comparative analysis of port call processes across ten global ports, identifying key efficiency deficits in timestamp standardization and digital communication.🔹Andreas Mohr presented a systematic literature review on the electrification of container terminal equipment, introducing a strategic framework to help operators transition toward zero-emission operations.🔹Derya Kara introduced an adaptive Mixed Reality retraining framework for port operations designed to improve safety training and reduce human-error-related accidents during crane operations.🔹Shubhangi Gupta introduced a data-driven framework using AIS data to quantify the traffic impacts of inland waterway disruptions along the Rhine corridor, demonstrating that disruption frequency does not always align with actual operational delay.The first day was rounded off with a wonderful Conference Dinner at Tim's Restaurant right at the Hamburg Fischmarkt, a great atmosphere for networking and relaxing after an inspiring first day! 🍽️⚓On the second day, our chief engineer Marvin Kastner highlighted global design differences in container terminals using satellite imagery, uncovering region-specific equipment preferences alongside universal scaling logic for RTG terminal dimensions.Overall, the conference was a resounding success, fostering engaging conversations and new collaborative ideas across academia and industry! 💡✨A huge thank you to the Conference Co-Chairs: Christian Thies, Christian M. Ringle, Carlos Jahn, Thorsten Blecker and Wolfgang Kersten, as well as the entire organizing team for planning and executing such a brilliant event! 🙌

From 7 to 9 September 2026, around 70 international participants came together in Bremerhaven for the 3rd PCO Network Meeting.Our colleagues Marvin Kastner and João Pedro Oberhauser Tavares Braga attended the meeting and contributed with insights from the final stages of the DYNAPORT project. The Blueprint for integrated port coordination, technical standards and demonstrators, as well as the dissemination of our results was on the menu for us this time.Over three days, participants exchanged experiences and discussed the practical implementation of Port Call Optimization. Topics included technical standards, data infrastructure, testbeds, data quality and opportunities for future collaboration. The discussions highlighted the importance of cooperation between port call stakeholders and harmonized approaches to digital information exchange.With DYNAPORT project nearing completion, we remain open to future opportunities for research and collaboration in this field.Learn more about the DYNAPORT project:🌐 https://dynaport.eu/More information about the PCO Network is available at:🌐 www.pconetwork.orgWe also invite you to explore our DYNAPORT “D2.2 Blueprint of port call processes” and share your feedback:📄 https://lnkd.in/dBPxixAeA big thank you to the organizers and all participants for three days of open discussions, valuable insights and new connections. 

Our team had the opportunity to attend both SMM Hamburg and LogiNext Germany.At SMM, we enjoyed insightful presentations, explored current developments in the maritime industry, and had many interesting conversations with companies, partners, and other exhibitors. It was a great opportunity to exchange perspectives, strengthen existing connections, and make new ones.At LogiNext Germany, our colleague Marvin Kastner joined the panel discussion “Critical Supply Chains: How Data Intelligence and Cooperation Strengthen Supply Security.” The panel focused on how data intelligence and cooperation between industry, academia, infrastructure operators and the public sector can help identify critical dependencies and make supply chains more resilient.We were also very happy to meet up with our former colleague Jürgen Weigell, who joined us during the events. It was great to have part of the former and current team together again!A big thank you to everyone we met and exchanged these days. We are taking home many interesting impressions, new perspectives, and ideas for future collaborations.

The 30th Logistics Research Network (LRN) Conference took place in Liverpool, UK, a city well known for its rich maritime heritage and historic port. This year’s conference was hosted by Liverpool John Moores University.Our colleague Derya Kara represented the Institute of Maritime Logistics and presented her paper, “Investigation of Human Factors in Terminal Accidents and the Role of Immersive Technologies in Training Deficiency.” Her research explores human factors and training deficiencies in terminal accidents and considers the potential of immersive technologies to enhance safety training.The conference provided valuable insights into different perspectives and current developments in logistics, as well as great opportunities for networking and exchange with the international research community. We are also very pleased to have had the opportunity to present our research on an international stage.