Port Strategy Baden-Württemberg

The Port Strategy for Baden-Württemberg examines the ten inland ports of Baden-Württemberg located on the Rhine, Neckar, and Main, analysing goods flows, organisational structures and trends, and develops recommendations for action for the state government.

The aim is to strengthen ports and inland shipping and promote climate-neutral freight transport. This also responds to the projected decline in waterway transport as anticipated in the Federal Transport Forecast 2040. This thematic page summarises the approach, work packages, and benefits for politics, port industry, and logistics companies.

The project team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) investigates the ten inland ports of Baden-Württemberg on the Rhine, Neckar, and Main. It analyses their structures, integration into logistics chains, supply and transhipment functions, as well as the role of the ports for national and international transport. Based on this, recommendations for action for the state government and a strategic embedding of the ports into Baden-Württemberg's logistics infrastructure are developed.

The "Federal Transport Forecast 2040" from the "Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport" anticipates declining transport volumes on waterways and growth on roads. The state of Baden-Württemberg is responding with a port strategy that aims to strengthen and transform ports and inland shipping in the region.

The Port Strategy considers, among other things, the national port strategy for sea and inland ports of the federal government and the freight transport concept of Baden-Württemberg. Key challenges include the decline of traditional bulk goods, ambitious climate goals, a shortage of skilled workers, demands for climate resilience, digitalisation, and new energy and fuel systems.

Our research institution is developing the Port Strategy forBaden-Württemberg:

• Status quo analysis of the ten inland ports in Baden-Württemberg
• Systematic literature review on port strategies and freight transport concepts
• Analysis of trends in logistics, inland shipping and port industry
• Examination of organisational structures, ownership relations and land management
• transport flow analyses based on the traffic interlinking data of the BVWP 2040 and statistical special evaluations
• Development of recommendations for action and transformation pathways for the state government
• Stakeholder integration through on-site discussions, online interviews and workshops
• Project management and quality assurance throughout the entire project period

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"The combination of status quo analyses, goods flow models, and trend assessment provides a robust basis for developing transformation pathways for the inland ports of Baden-Württemberg."
Maximiliane Lorenz M. Sc., Project Lead Port Strategy Baden-Württemberg, Fraunhofer IML

The solution approach to the Port Strategy for Baden-Württemberg links status quo, organisational structures, and transport flows into a holistic analysis. The foundation consists of a systematic evaluation of existing port strategies, a detailed examination of the infra- and suprastructures of the inland ports, as well as a trend analysis of logistics, inland shipping, and the port industry. Based on this, organisational models, ownership relations, land management, and logistical services are assessed, and the current and future goods flows are analysed based on extensive data sources.

The consolidated results are aligned with political goals, reflected in discussions and workshops, and translated into concrete recommendations for action and transformation pathways for the state government and relevant stakeholders; a structured project management ensures quality and coordination.

Are you planning a port strategy or a port concept? Our team consolidates current knowledge on inland ports, goods flows, and port logistics:

• Methodologically approach to developing port strategies and port concepts
• Utilisation of extensive expertise on transport flows, port structures, and trends
• Involvement of regional stakeholders through discussions, interviews, and workshops
• Derivation of clearly structured recommendations for action and transformation pathways for politics and the port industry

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Request Port Strategy or Port Concept

Eastern Ruhr Area as an Impulse for the Port Strategy

In the project "Port Concept Eastern Ruhr Area" commissioned by the Transport Association of Westphalia, the project team investigated the potentials of ports and canals for the economy in the eastern Ruhr area. The basis consisted of existing studies on the development potentials of the ports and public studies that were systematically evaluated.

From analyses and interviews, proposals for political dialogue were derived in the form of recommendations for action to make the potentials of the waterway visible and promote them. This approach serves as a reference for the Port Strategy, as it demonstrates how regional port concepts can be built on robust data foundations and close involvement of economic actors.

Perspectives of the West German Canal Network

In the project "Perspectives of the West German Canal Network in the Context of New Impulses" for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Dortmund, the project team analysed the future significance of the canal network and inland ports. The focus was on the canal network as a connection between businesses and the ports as logistical hubs linked to seaports and the hinterland.

The combination of infrastructure assessment, trend analysis, land review, and dialogue-oriented scenario development provides valuable insights for the Port Strategy Baden-Württemberg, particularly regarding land development issues and the role of ports in regional value creation networks.