Cargo Express is designing the future of short sea shipping - collaboration, innovation and regulation as key factors

To better understand the project, its potential and innovative approach, we ask Lars Green a few questions here.

Lars works as a senior expert consultant in the project and contributes his experience to identify innovative solutions and strengthen collaboration between industrial and maritime actors.

Lars, 

what do you see as unique in the approach that the project takes to the issue of the future of short sea shipping?

“I see that uniqueness exists in two respects. Firstly, Norway is a much larger shipping nation than Sweden and is at the forefront of development by also having actors who have taken significant financial risks and where physical unique pilots already exist in the maritime sector. On the Swedish side, we have a prominent position in several technical areas, and we therefore become stronger by joining forces. The second is that the collaboration very clearly wants to include the perspective of cargo owners and transport buyers, who can potentially be quickly affected by environmental changes that are currently unique,” says Lars.

In which direction will we need to work to achieve increased competitiveness in sea-based transport solutions, hasn't this already been done by established shipping companies?

“Yes, many shipping companies and logistics companies make commendable efforts that our initiative wants to help develop. It may sound cliché, but the direction is towards more collaboration and understanding each other's perspectives better. The complexity is underestimated, and the proof is that this would otherwise have been solved a long time ago.”

What is new and what can be seen as a gamechanger when it comes to designing new shipping services for cargo owners?

“There is no “silver bullet” but it will be a mix of many small new advances that, at the right time, create an innovation chain. In parallel with this, regulations must keep up, which is perhaps the biggest challenge, but I see bright spots in the form of authority collaboration across national borders.”

The project is carried out together with the following Norwegian partners: ASKO Maritime AS, University of Southeast Norway and SAMS - and we at CLOSER are the project leaders. Read more about the project here: https://closer.lindholmen.se/en/project/cargo-express

Are you interested in getting in touch and getting involved in the initiative? Contact Kristoffer Skjutare, project manager for Cargo Express.