Intermodal Europe Blog

Belt and Road: China's plan to revive the Silk Road

10 Oct 2019

We still entertain romantic notions of the Silk Road: of silks, spices and porcelain borne by camel through mountains, oases, cities and deserts with evocative names like Sogdia, Samarkand and Transoxiana. For centuries, these trade routes were the commercial arteries of Eurasia, taking goods and people between China and the West.

Are autonomous ships the future of smart shipping?

30 Sep 2019

Autonomous drones are increasingly commonplace and driverless cars are lauded as the future of automobiles, but you don’t often hear shipping spoken about in the same breath.

But, within the shipping industry, autonomy is no longer the stuff of...

Smart containers and smart tracking: How the IoT is transforming shipping

13 Sep 2019

Shipping is becoming smarter, more efficient, more adaptive and more responsive. Artificial intelligence, telematics and the Internet of Things (IoT) is proving transformative for the container shipping...

Getting to grips with container innovation

11 Sep 2019

Containerised shipping accounted, in 2017, for 1.82 billion tonnes of global trade. Currently, there are around 22 million containers plying the oceans, but for ports with a significant trade imbalance – those that import more than they export – they are causing huge problems. Empty containers stack up.

Intermodal Europe returns to Hamburg - a global hub for the container and intermodal industries

03 Sep 2019

Just days ago, the Port of Hamburg reported a 4.1 percent growth in seaborne cargo handling, and a 7.5 percent increase in container handling.

Europe’s third-largest port is vital to Germany’s export economy. It boasts seventeen terminals, and last year handled 69.4 million tonnes of seaborne cargo and berthed 3,046 container ships.

SOLAS container weighing rules create $4bn industry – and 'blatant profiteering'

30 Aug 2019

This year’s implementation of the verified gross mass (VGM) amendment to the SOLAS [Safety of Life at Sea] regulations has created a potential $4bn market.

Graeme Parkins, managing director of container weighing solutions provider Hy-Dynamix, told The Loadstar at the Intermodal 2016 event in Rotterdam, that globally there were around 20 million containers in operation, each being used roughly 10 times a year.

PODCAST: Thinking inside the box – how predictive analytics could change container shipping

11 Aug 2019

One of the most important potential tools that managers could use to tackle the increasing complexity of global container supply chains is predictive analytics.

But how far has the technology developed from its embryonic beginnings, and what advantages can predictive technology give to all participants – shippers, 3PLs, carriers and even terminals – in the supply chain?

Heavy fuel could prove a tough habit to kick for shipping

27 July 2019

The longer shipping waits to tackle its carbon emissions, the sharper the shock to the industry, says LR report

Fuel oils will continue to make up a large part of shipping’s fuel mix as long as they remain cheap, but the industry must start to wean itself off of fuel oils soon if it is to stay in step with a decarbonising world, according to a report published by Lloyd’s Register.

Port of Rotterdam most dynamic European logistics hub

14 June 2019

As we look back on last year's succesful event at the Ahoy, it's refreshing to see that the Port of Rotterdam has been named as "most dynamic European logistics hub". Driving forward with innovation and shaping the future of logistics, the Port of Rotterdam has made huge efforts to continuously develop and refuses to remain at a standstill, propelling the port above its German and Antwerp counterparts.

5 Reasons to attend Intermodal Europe 2019

17 May 2019

Join thousands of international professionals at Intermodal Europe 2019 from the 5-7 November at the Hamburg Messe. The event will provide a three-day industry forum, bringing together high-quality speakers and leading global exhibitors to do business, network and discuss market trends.

Drewry: Gradual Recovery Expected in Container Shipping

April 23 2019

Despite continuing concerns over weak trade growth and fleet oversupply in the container shipping market, a gradual market recovery is now expected, according to shipping consultancy Drewry.