Final Event Project CoboTank

4 December 2025 18:00

The event took place as part of the “Future Day on Liquid Bulk Logistics – Innovations for Efficiency, Safety and Sustainability in Inland Shipping and Tank Storage” at the DST – Development Centre for Ship Technology and Transport Systems (DST – Entwicklungszentrum für Schiffstechnik und Transportsysteme e.V.) in Duisburg.

In summary: It was an extremely engaging and informative day, featuring impressive project results that were not only presented theoretically but also demonstrated in real-world applications.

Key Takeaways of the Day

Around 50% of the nationwide liquid bulk transport volume in Germany is handled via inland waterways – underlining the sector’s enormous importance for logistics.

From the perspective of the independent tank storage association, the key future challenges lie in regulatory requirements, the energy transition, and evolving threat scenarios.

Like many other industries, inland shipping is facing a shortage of skilled workers. Digitalization and technological innovation can help make jobs more attractive while also increasing safety.

Autonomous navigation systems are an important building block; however, they must be considered across the entire transport chain. Operations do not end at the quay, and staff shortages affect every stage of the process.

Partially automated solutions, such as robotic arms, can already significantly relieve employees in their daily work and enhance safety.

The demonstrators presented at DST as well as at the Chair of Mechatronics at the University of Duisburg-Essen impressively showcased potential approaches for partially and, in the future, fully automated liquid bulk handling.

Looking Ahead

The collaborative projects PortSkill 4.0 and DigiTank also generated great interest and sparked curiosity about upcoming research results.

Projects within the IHATEC II funding program are supported by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.