As part of its digital initiative to enhance customer experience, Portbase has completed the first phase of connecting with the TradeLens platform, a platform for trade digitization underpinned by blockchain technology. The strategic location of the Dutch ports as gateway to Northwest Europe, as well as the size of the Portbase community and the coverage of its Port Community System combined with the global network on TradeLens will create unique opportunities for its users to reduce administrative costs, increase efficiency, and contribute to the global trend of openness and transparency in logistics.  

Connecting the global ecosystem                                                                                  

The collaboration between Portbase and TradeLens creates a connection between the Dutch ports and a global ecosystem of carriers, ports and terminals and overseas inland providers. Its strong position in the Dutch ports allows Portbase to play an important role in bringing transparency to end-to-end supply chains by providing connected parties with a single point of contact in the Dutch ports. Through Portbase, government notifications and declarations are regulated, and Portbase’s existing networks have good geographical coverage for fast and efficient transport to and from the hinterland. As a Port Community System, Portbase ties logistics chains through trust, connectivity and the availability of data. At all times the data is controlled and managed by the data owner while it remains easily accessible to authorized parties.

Data hub for Northwest Europe

In this first phase, Portbase will send customs clearance (hold and release) messages for all Maersk containers to TradeLens. Collaboration between Maersk, TradeLens and Portbase provides enhanced digital offerings for shippers within Northwest Europe. In return, Portbase will receive data back from the TradeLens platform (e.g., information about transport and customs milestones for shipments that are imported, exported or transshipped via the ports). Data will be available in the Port Community System for community members who have legitimate, permissioned access to the platform and can use data about each container to enhance their own operations.

“By connecting with the TradeLens platform, Portbase creates a connection between our community and the global ecosystem,” said Portbase managing director Iwan van der Wolf. “It allows all players in the logistical chain to easily, quickly and securely share data with each other, irrespective of their mutual relationship, enhancing trade for everyone involved. Thereby Portbase acts as datahub for global trade via the Dutch ports and facilitates the connection to regional networks in Northwest Europe.”

“The connection between Portbase and TradeLens will allow the already well-developed ecosystem around Dutch ports and the global network on TradeLens to reap the mutual benefits of exchanging data with each other,” said Nicolas Buhmann, Senior Commercial Manager Network Development, GTD Solution Inc. “Portbase and TradeLens are united in their vision of digitizing trade in a way that customers on both sides can look forward to the enhanced offering resulting from this collaboration.”

“Seamless integration has been realized by using the publish and subscribe facilities that both platforms provide,” said Norbert Kouwenhoven, Authorities Lead, IBM Blockchain. “This chosen construct allows for upscaling ‘with a mouse click’ and can be easily expanded as the scope of the ecosystem increases.”