Designing an ecosystem to facilitate data-driven choices for the maritime sector

Abstract

The maritime sector will have to deal with various challenges in the time to come, like sustainability and competitiveness. To deal with these challenges, there are several opportunities to improve through the use of data and technology. The first part of this report examines the developments taking place in both the global maritime sector and the Dutch seaports. In general, we see that major changes are afoot within the maritime sector. Data is starting to play an increasingly important role in decision-making. With data, new insights can be generated and specific parts where quick wins can be made can be tackled. By optimising processes, efficiency can be increased, allowing more to be achieved with the same effort. This helps the sector to stay competitive. The sector is facing declining interest from employees and emerging local production, making transport a less important factor. To remain competitive, processes are being automated and cooperation between different companies is increasing. This allows innovations to be applied more widely and ultimately achieve more. The more important role of data also leads to risks concerning security and privacy. Soon, the sector will have to learn to deal with these risks.

KPN is a large, Dutch telecommunication company that serves a large part of the Dutch consumer and business market and is one of three companies with a Dutch mobile network. As people’s perception of mobile communications changes, KPN is seeing a decline in revenues from consumers and is having to introduce innovations despite receiving little additional revenue in return. As more companies can deliver connectivity, KPN is focusing on delivering extra services to companies on top of their connectivity. This way, KPN tries to create the financial space to keep their network up to date and to add new functionalities. In addition, KPN distinguishes itself within the Dutch market by operating in a climate-neutral way. KPN is now using the knowledge it has gained to help other companies make their businesses more sustainable. KPN believes that the use of technology can ensure that companies can operate in a climate-neutral way without compromising their business.

By deploying KPN’s capabilities within the insights gained from the analysis, the KPN Fleet ecosystem was designed. Within this ecosystem, KPN offers a platform to all kinds of maritime stakeholders, enabling them to make optimal use of the opportunities offered by data and new technologies. By involving all stakeholders in an ecosystem, every one of them can help each other get the most out of their processes and innovations. Data can be shared safely and quickly, allowing all stakeholders involved to use this data to optimise their processes or services. This further increases the quality of all services delivered within the ecosystem, which ultimately benefits all stakeholders involved. It also offers KPN the opportunity to use its capabilities and thus add extra value within the maritime sector. Within this report, more details about KPN Fleet are highlighted. In addition, a roadmap is presented to help KPN implement KPN Fleet and expand it in the future.

KPN Fleet helps KPN to expand their position in the maritime sector and increase the value they add to society. This allows them to remain relevant in the future and generate more revenue. In addition, KPN Fleet is fully in line with its vision of using technology to help other companies become more sustainable while improving business. Besides, it could help generate knowledge or experience for KPN to apply in other sectors they are active in, like automation or data spaces. In doing so, KPN can strengthen their strategic advantage in multiple sectors. Furthermore, the concept includes the development to collaborate with various companies that is seen in the market. So, it both fits KPN as the customers it is serving.