Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), together with the Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services (CML) and Kongsberg Maritime Germany, has officially launched the iPORTUS research project, aiming to advance the digitalisation and automation of port operations.

Funded with around €1.7 million by the German Federal Ministry for Transport under the IHATEC II programme, iPORTUS will focus on the safe integration of semi-autonomous and remotely monitored, low-emission waterborne vehicles (Autonomous Surface Vessels, ASVs) into complex port environments. The project will address nautical safety, cyber security, and the development of high levels of autonomy, linking the systems to a central remote operations centre.

iPORTUS also seeks to lay the regulatory groundwork for approval processes and support economic decision-making, paving the way for routine autonomous vessel operations in German ports. The initiative is supported by several associated partners, including the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), bremenports, Niedersachsen Ports, and HafenCity University Hamburg (HCU).

The consortium’s first working meeting is scheduled for 26 January 2026 at Fraunhofer CML, where partners will define key technical and organisational priorities for the project’s next phase.

“With iPORTUS, we are setting a milestone for the safe integration of semi-autonomous systems into port operations. The project not only delivers technological innovations, but also creates the regulatory foundations for deploying these technologies in Germany,” says Benjamin Blanck, Project Manager in the Research & Development department at HPA.

“Furthermore, the implementation of iPORTUS strengthens trust in maritime autonomy: we equip ASVs to withstand cyberattacks, validate them in port operations, and translate the results into approvable operating models – a tangible contribution to digitalisation and decarbonisation,” adds Lennart Grambow, Research Associate at Fraunhofer CML.

“As a leading technology company, we are delighted to contribute to this forward-looking topic and to successfully transfer the technology into operational deployment. In doing so, we make an important contribution to digital transformation and lay the foundation for sustainable innovations that deliver long-term added value for our customers and partners,” says Olaf Lautenschläger, Team Lead Projects at Kongsberg Maritime Germany GmbH.