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Meet Patrick Specht, a project manager and research associate at ISL in Bremen, Germany, and a key contributor to the SEAMLESS project.

ISL is one of Europe’s leading institutions in maritime logistics research, consultancy, and knowledge transfer. In SEAMLESS, Patrick is part of the team evaluating use cases to demonstrate autonomous shipping solutions and test the transferability of project concepts. He also leads WP2, the Logistics Redesign work package, which aims to establish a foundational baseline for SEAMLESS use cases and provide a clear conceptualization of the project’s core components and their interactions within the logistics system.

In this interview, Patrick shares insights on the objectives, milestones, achievements, and future directions of WP2, as well as lessons learned and the project’s broader impact on the field of autonomous waterborne transport

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Discover more by reading the interview!

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Brief Introduction:

Can you briefly introduce yourself and your role in the SEAMLESS project?

I work as a project manager and research associate at ISL, based in Bremen, Germany. Our organisation is one if Europe’s leading institutions for research, consultancy and knowledge transfer in maritime logistics. Within the project, I am part of the team that analyses and evaluates the SEAMLESS use cases in which we will demonstrate autonomous shipping solutions or test the transferability our concepts. Another role is to lead the activities within the logistics redesign work package (WP2).

Overview of Work Package:

Could you provide an overview of your work package’s objectives and its importance within the SEAMLESS project?

One of our partners has put it quite well in one of the first project meetings: We are there to “set the scene”. Specifically, we follow the ambition to establish a baseline for the SEAMLESS use cases and thus explore the logistics systems that will eventually incorporate autonomous waterborne transport. We also aim to provide a clear conceptualisation of the SEAMLESS building blocks, how they interact with each other and with the external environment.

Goals and Targets:

What are the main goals of your work package? Are there any specific targets or milestones you aimed to achieve?

In addition to the “tangible” presentations and reports in the context of the above-mentioned objectives, I hope that we will be able to show where the individual parts will later make their contribution to the overall logistics system.

Key Achievements:

What are the key achievements of your work package so far?

As the work package was one of the first to start, we have already completed a lot. This means that we have already held more than 30 bilateral workshops with internal and external stakeholders and have done a double-digit number of workshops. As a result, we have been able to publish the first three reports, which are publicly available on the SEAMLESS website. The first one is dedicated to use cases of the project and will be of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about the logistics system that we are addressing and envisioning. Another report presents the SEAMLESS reference logistics system architecture and the potential for simplifying complex administrational procedures in the planning and execution processes of a multimodal transport chain using autonomous vessels. For those, who want to delve into the technical aspects, I recommend the third deliverable, which defines the SEAMLESS building blocks and their subsystems and how they are designed to work as part of the overall SEAMLESS concept.

Collaboration:

How did you collaborate with other work packages? What has been the impact of this collaboration?

The work package became a very integrative effort at an early stage of the project. Collaboration with other work packages was therefore essential, so that it is safe to say that each partner ultimately has a stake in the results!

Future Plans:

What are the next steps for your work package? Are there any upcoming activities or developments you’re particularly excited about?

As the main focus has been on the functional aspects of logistics, the focus of the WP will now shift the focus to the regulatory level and thus to providing a better view on gaps and requirements related to the solutions that the project offers. In addition, we will continue our integrative efforts and try to mediate and advise on  logistics-related issues within the technical work packages.

Lessons Learned:

What are some key lessons you’ve learned throughout the process? How might these lessons be applied to future projects or initiatives?

Even if you are tempted to jump straight into the details at the beginning, it is a good idea to first take a good look at where you are coming from, what you have to build on and where exactly you want to go. This may take a little longer than expected, but it will pay off in the end!

Final Thoughts:

Is there anything else you would like to share about your work package or the SEAMLESS project in general?

As well as answering technical questions about autonomous shipping, I think it is important to make sense of it. With the different logistics use cases we are addressing within the project, we are making significant progress in this regard and I am proud to be part of this endeavour!