Premiere of Estonian-German Port Days

Focus on sustainable logistics and digitalisation – the road to environmentally friendly freight transport is already paved.

At the first Estonian-German Port Days, the participants demonstrated the impressive way in which bilateral relations can be strengthened not only at maritime but also political level. “At a time of political uncertainty, we want to work with our partners in Estonia to open up new trade routes, drive innovation and strengthen Europe’s maritime networks,” emphasised Lübeck’s Mayor Jan Lindenau and Dr. Niels Wiecker, Director of Ports and Logistics at the Hamburg Ministry of Economics and Innovation, at the opening of the Port Days in Estonia’s capital, Tallinn.

The opportunities for cooperation are diverse. For instance, the potential for environmentally friendly freight transport between Germany and Estonia could be realised quickly: “Currently, four times as many goods are transported between the two countries by lorry as by sea or rail,” explained Sebastian Jürgens, Managing Director of Lübecker Hafen-Gesellschaft (LHG). By shifting to “green corridors”, up to 70 per cent of CO2 emissions could be saved.

At the invitation of the LHG and Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM), a 35-strong delegation of representatives from business and politics travelled to the Estonian capital for the Estonian-German Port Days. The delegation was led by Lübeck’s Mayor Lindenau and included, among others, Lübeck’s Senator for Economic and Social Affairs, Pia Steinrücke, and LHG Managing Director Jürgens. The delegation from Hamburg was headed by Director Wiecker and Marina Basso Michael, Regional Director Europe at HHM. In total, more than 100 participants from both countries gathered in Tallinn to discuss new ideas and exchange experiences.

Background: Germany accounts for over eleven per cent of Estonia’s imports. Currently, two weekly container liner services connect the ports of Muuga and Hamburg. In addition, there are three weekly sailings by Finnish ro-ro shipping company Transfennica between Paldiski and Lübeck. “If the volume of cargo increases, we can respond very quickly and flexibly by expanding our schedule,” assured Transfennica Managing Director Dirk Witteveen. The company’s freight ferries transport not only trailers, lorries and cars, but also containers and project cargo.

“The sanctions against Russia have had a severe impact on our ports,” said Kaupo Läänerand, Deputy Secretary General for Maritime Affairs at the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications. However, he also sees this as an opportunity: “The declines are acting as a catalyst for rapidly expanding cooperation in the logistics sector with Germany.” A newly established Estonian cluster of maritime service providers, already comprising 60 companies and start-ups with a combined annual turnover of two billion euros, is intended to support this. “We are actively seeking dialogue with partners in Germany. We would like to share our expertise, especially on the topic of critical infrastructure,” says Läänerand.

“The German and Estonian port industries are facing similar challenges – from regulatory requirements and shifting cargo flows to the need to better integrate sustainability and innovation,” stated Marina Basso Michael, Regional Director Europe at HHM and co-moderator of the port forum. “The three-day exchange provided an excellent opportunity to take our cooperation to a new level and learn from one another.”

Riina Leminsky, Head of the business development agency Enterprise Estonia in the DACH region, supported this view: “While Hamburg, as a global logistics hub, and Lübeck, as a Baltic Sea gateway, offer the Baltic states access to global markets, Estonia contributes an attractive business environment, a highly qualified workforce, and digital expertise.”

The delegation was particularly impressed by Estonia’s consistently high degree of digitalisation: “Here, for example, we are successfully operating autonomous tractor units from the Munich-based technology company Fernride in a fully digitalised environment,” explained Riia Sillave, CEO of HHLA TK Estonia, during the delegation’s visit to the container terminal in Muuga.

“I am positively surprised by the response of our Estonian partners to our visit,” concluded Lübeck’s Mayor Jan Lindenau. The Hanseatic League still holds great significance in the Baltic states, “and we are happy to build on this tradition.”

As a direct result of the delegation trip, LHG Managing Director Jürgens announced an expert meeting with representatives from the logistics industry in both countries for the summer. “We have successfully brought the communities together and seen that the potential for environmentally friendly transport is literally right there on the road. Without major investments in new systems, we can already make better use of existing sea and rail transport.”