The Horizon 2020 project was carried out according to plan, and it has proven very successful.
Overview of work carried out in the project:
1) Leading container carriers and terminal operators were engaged early on in the project to initiate joint trials of the Portchain solution. Subsequently, the product was configured in close collaboration with end users across several ports and regions, and the trails were carried out.
2) These trials provided valuable insights about the robustness and scalability of the product in different customer segments and operational environments. In the early stages of the trials, significant efforts were made to understand user needs and operational constraints that might impact the adoption of the new planning tool. Further configuration followed with ongoing customer feedback loops, and eventually a new workflow was rolled out in live operations. With each successful trial completed, the product was validated in a new environment and one step closer to full market validation.
3) Finally, a roadmap to continue the positive growth trajectory and scale the company's footprint beyond the end of the project was developed.
Summary of exploitable results from the project:
1) The project led to close partnerships with some of leading shipping companies in the world, which have since developed into long-term customer relationships.
2) The positive traction also helped Portchain close a funding round with a group of prominent angel investors from the global shipping and tech scene.
3) The company's workforce grew by more than 100% over the course of the project by the addition of top technology talent from countries such as Italy, Germany, Latvia and Turkey.
4) Following the successful completion of the project, other customer trials have been scheduled or already kicked off.
