HaFoLa opens its doors

4 September 2023 00:00

On 4 September 2023, HaFoLa, the test centre for innovative port and handling technologies, was inaugurated under the patronage of the North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Transport, Oliver Krischer, and in the presence of many partners, friends, fellow researchers and guests.

The opening ceremony was a complete success! After an industry lecture, the inauguration ceremony included the formal opening at the push of a button, various greetings, a so-called Water Mixing Ceremony and a first insight into the topics that will be dealt with in the HaFoLa.

HaFoLa is designed as a test centre for all types of technical solutions in the ship-shore interaction of inland vessels, including automation and digitalisation. It has a Port Innovation Lab, which is modelled on an inland port, and a Digital Port Living Lab for experimental and demonstration purposes. Fortunately, the HaFoLa is already being used in ongoing research projects.

The DST, traditionally a towing tank institute with a clear focus on hydrodynamics and ship design, has developed into a truly interdisciplinary and international research institute in the field of water transport and logistics!

The CoboTank project is looking forward to testing the scaled 1:10 Cobot at HaFoLa in the near future.