Maritime shipping is significantly based in the use of containers, which have greatly improved the sector since their introduction in the past. One of its main problems is the existence of a sustained global trade imbalance because regions like China are mainly manufacturers and exporters while others as USA or Europe act mostly as importers. This results in the accumulation of around 20% of empty containers at ports, which need to be repositioned to be used in another location, representing a high cost for shipping companies (around $20 B/year). They also occupy a lot of space in ports and in ships when they are transported back to be re-filled and represent an environmental risk when relocated (more CO2 emissions). Navlandis aims to offer a suitable solution for empty containers’ issues and we have developed Zbox, our first patented foldable container. It looks and behaves like a standard container but when it is empty we fold it and we manage to pack 5 empty containers in the same volume than 1. Zbox reduces CO2 emissions by a 20%, reduces the need of land for storage by an 80% and cuts empty container management costs by 50%. When compared with other foldable containers Zbox is cheaper to produce, cheaper and easier to fold and unfold and it is cheaper to maintain. We have developed our 20’ container and now we want to transfer the technology to the 40'HC size, establish the manufacturing scaling-up, perform the containers’ validation in operational environment and obtain the corresponding certifications to begin with Zbox commercialization. During the feasibility study, we were able to describe in detail: the technical developmental path followed and further technical needs to complete 20’ and 40’HC containers, the requirements for certification, the manufacturing scaling-up goals, the validation roadmap and the financial needs for project’s completion. Similarly, we could identify and describe at a local and global level: some potential manufacturer partners, our main potential users (mainly shipping lines and leasing companies) and other key stakeholders for the project. We also have described the market of shipping containers and proposed a thorough commercial strategy in order to successfully reach it and we recognized main technical and commercial risks, proposing counteracting measures. The Navlandis team is highly motivated with continuing Zbox development, reach commercialization and make of our logistics company a growing success.
