UKMPG launches ‘Digital Dragons Den’ competition

The UK’s major ports know that the digital revolution will be a key theme shaping and transforming the port of the future. This is also a broad and fast-moving area, with key ideas likely to come from a wide range of sources. So, UKMPG members are keen to see what others think.

Launching the contest at Monday’s All Party Parliamentary Group for Maritime and Ports, Tim Morris, Chief Executive of the UKMPG commented: “The UK’s major ports will be as important to the fourth industrial revolution as they have been to its predecessors. The UK Major Ports Group is making an open call for ground-breaking perspectives and ideas on what are the top five ways digitisation could transform the major port of tomorrow. We’re running this process with the participation of Government so we’re also asking what the right role for Government is, as well as industry, in making this future vision a reality in the UK.”

Morris continued: “The competition is open to all those with the best ideas. Our ambition is to connect leading innovators in the digital space with the major investors and operators in the UK ports sector – UK Major Ports Group members.”

The originators of the best three submissions will have the opportunity to present to the CEOs of nine of the largest port operators in the UK – operators that invest more than half a billion pounds in the UKs ports and infrastructure each year – at the UKMPG’s Board meeting in November.

UKMPG has assembled a review panel to consider the submissions and short list the best three. To give a wide range of perspectives, panel members will come not just from the ports sector, but also Government, academia and technologists.

The deadline for initial submissions is 12 noon on Friday 3 August. Submissions should be restricted to 5000 words – although more creative ways of communicating ideas are welcomed. The review panel will consider submissions over the summer, potentially with interactions with ideas originators during September before shortlisting submissions on Friday 5 October. Submissions from consortia, possibly combining different specialisms, are welcome as well as from individual organisations.

Read the article online at: https://www.drybulkmagazine.com/ports-terminals/19062018/ukmpg-launches-digital-dragons-den-competition/