Thames Freeport names winners in Connectivity Lab trials

Thames Freeport has named the winning technologies from its Connectivity Lab programme, with the selected systems set to be deployed or extended at the Port of Tilbury, DP World London Gateway and Ford Dagenham.

The programme tested eight technologies in live commercial settings after the three industrial partners reviewed more than 140 applicants. The work was backed by £4 million in 5G infrastructure investment through Verizon and a further £1.2 million invested directly in the lab.

Each innovation is expected to deliver at least a 25% increase in productivity. The model also cuts the usual procurement process for new technology by more than 100% and reduces risk for site operators considering adoption.

The Port of Tilbury chose to extend pilots with Aible, Allread and Streamwide. Aible uses AI-based analysis to help port teams make operational decisions, while Allread applies AI imaging to CCTV footage to track containers moving by rail in and out of the site.

Streamwide provides a communications platform that connects parties across the port and improves responses to alerts, thereby supporting operational efficiency.

Ford Dagenham also selected Aible for an extended pilot focused on process flows around vehicle movements. It has also extended a pilot with Focalx, which uses AI analysis on mobile devices during vehicle inspections to reduce disputes and standardise the process.

Nokia also ran a pilot with Ford, using 5G-enabled cameras to improve visual and audio awareness in areas not covered by existing systems. Discussions are continuing with Ford and the Port of Tilbury.

At DP World London Gateway, the programme introduced Conroo and Purple Transform, with both still under engagement. Conroo offers a smartphone app that tracks container arrivals at port gates, aiming to reduce lorry loading and discharge times, improve routing and ease congestion.

Purple Transform uses existing CCTV data to automate the detection of context-specific personal protective equipment around heavy machinery and vehicles. DP World also piloted MapBI, which built a digital twin of the site’s container inventory to provide operational data for loading, discharge and inventory planning.

MapBI is continuing discussions with all three sites. The lab forms part of Thames Freeport’s wider strategy to use technology trials as a route to broader industrial deployment across logistics and manufacturing operations.

Operator Trials

The programme was designed to give scale-ups and larger businesses access to industrial environments where new systems could be tested under operating conditions. For site operators, it offered a way to assess technologies before making longer-term purchasing decisions.

Stuart Rimmer, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Thames Freeport, said, “As the UK’s Next Generation Growth Zone, Thames Freeport is focused on turning innovation into deployment. The Connectivity Lab shows how new technologies can be tested in live operating environments and adopted at pace. This is about improving productivity, safety and resilience across critical industrial sites.”

For DP World, the work focused on whether the technologies could fit into existing port operations. Alan Shaoul, UK Chief Financial Officer – Ports & Terminals, DP World, said, “At DP World, we’re focused on continuously improving how our operations perform and how we support our customers across their supply chains. Technology is an important part of that, and the Connectivity Lab gives us a useful opportunity to assess new solutions from Conroo and Purple Transform in a live operational setting before making decisions on wider adoption.”

At the Port of Tilbury, the selected pilots focused on data analysis and cargo tracking. Ross McKissock, Director of Unitised, Port of Tilbury, said, “Being part of the Connectivity Lab has enabled us to run an initial pilot and extended pilots with both Aible and Allread, expanding our data analysis and container tracking capabilities to drive better decisions, efficiency and cost savings. The Connectivity Lab has enabled us to pilot these technologies at speed. We’re proud to have been part of this programme, which will unlock efficiencies and sustainability for trade and industry across the UK and ultimately enhance the country’s performance on a global scale.”

L Marks, which was involved in the programme, described the lab as a way to shorten a typically slow route to procurement in port settings. Daniel Saunders, Chief Executive Officer, L Marks, said, “The pathway to procurement in port environments can take years because, at this scale, every decision carries commercial and operational weight. The Lab cut that to weeks by generating the evidence before the commitment is made, so operators no longer have to bet on a technology they have never seen perform. Seeing the trial, as well as the ROI specific to their business case, is what drives adoption and the productivity gains that follow.”