The Freeport of Riga Authority will create a single platform for the digital transformation of multimodal cargo services in Latvia

Every year, the Latvian logistics chain provides for more than 40 million tons of different types of cargo that are received and sent from Latvian ports by road, sea and rail. Not only cargo consignors and consignees, but also carriers, stevedores, port authorities and state control services – SRS Customs Administration, State Border Guard, Food and Veterinary Service, etc. are involved in the implementation of international and domestic cargo logistics processes, currently generating a large amount of documents that need to be coordinated between all parties involved.

With the aim to promote the digitization of cargo documents and data circulation and to develop the automation of port and logistics processes, an integrated shared platform is being created under the leadership of the Freeport of Riga Authority to provide multimodal cargo services for sea and land freight, including data exchange with existing information systems of national importance. The implementation of the project will significantly improve the speed of multimodal cargo circulation, reduce the administrative burden and impact on the environment.

The project “Digital transformation of port management, improving the processing and analysis of transport and logistics data” is being implemented under the 2nd component “Digital transformation” of the European Union Recovery and Resilience plan within the framework of the reform and investment direction 2.1 “Digital transformation of public administration, including local governments”. The ports of Riga and Ventspils, the Liepāja Special Economic Zone Authority (SEZ), as well as partners from small ports, VSIA “Latvijas Jūras administrācija,” VAS “Latvijas Dzelzceļš,” the Customs Administration of the State Revenue Service (SRS) and the State Border Guard. The project implementation financing is 3.2 million EUR, while its maintenance and future development will be provided by the ports.

Viesturs Zeps, Chairman of the Freeport of Riga Board: “We are aiming to become a leader in the implementation of digital technologies throughout the Baltic region. In recent years, the Freeport of Riga Authority as well as the companies of the Port of Riga have been actively developing and investing in green energy, smart technology and IT projects. We are working on the digital transformation of port processes in order to introduce the principles of the smart port into everyday life by integrating several information systems that make the port a multimodal transport hub and allow information to move faster than actual cargo carriers. Digitalization of the port not only facilitates the port’s and the port companies’ cluster operation, promoting their role among the logistics players of the region, but also provides data for new solutions aimed for linking the city, the city transport and other solutions.”