During the last four days of September the “Eilandje” docklands district of Antwerp will be entirely devoted to innovative technologies. The Port Authority is building a spectacular dome specially for this event, open to the public free of charge. Come along and experience the port of the future!
Immerse yourself in new technologies
Be sure to visit the dome in the Bonaparte dock, a temporary structure where you can experience a 360° video projection of the port of tomorrow. Then stroll over to the Innovation Hub in the MAS Port Pavilion and take part in the competition where you stand to win a joyride in a helicopter. Or follow the movements of the Echodrone, an innovative sounding boat that navigates around the port automatically thanks to unique Cloud technology.
Digital transition for a smart port
SuperNova fits in perfectly with the Port Authority’s strategic plans for a digital transition. Innovation is a powerful tool for reacting to our fast-changing world. Together with the port community we are constantly striving to develop new technologies and methods and to incorporate them in our port operations.
Steps being taken by the Port Authority towards the port of the future include onshore power supplies for seagoing ships, airborne and waterborne drones, and investment in iNoses, a network of “smart noses” (gas sensors) at various points around the port in order to raise the alarm whenever noxious substances are released. In other developments the Port Authority is partnering up in unique collaborations.
Antwerp is teaming up with the Port of Los Angeles to organise the Hackathon in mid-October this year. This marathon competition will last three days and two nights during which participants from all over the world tackle the logistical challenges of tomorrow. The challenge is to discover ways in which the new technologies can offer practical solutions to various operational problems or bottlenecks in the port.
In the meantime the Port Authority is pursuing an active policy of fostering a lively start-up community in the Antwerp region, so as to lay the basis for a real Smart Port. The Beacon, due to be officially opened on the first evening of SuperNova, is an innovation centre focusing on Internet of Things applications. The Port Authority is an active partner in this centre.
SuperNova: Tomorrow is unstoppable
–SuperNova will be held from Thursday 27 to Sunday 30 September.
-The innovation festival includes a conference with world-class speakers in the field of pioneering technology and innovation, a technology fair at which companies can present cutting-edge solutions, and a free spectacle at which the general public can marvel at the main developments that will define our future.
-Be sure to take a look inside the Port Authority’s spectacular dome in the Bonaparte dock, open free of charge on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 22:00 hours and from Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. The entrance to the dome is beside the MAS Port Pavilion.
-Demonstrations of the Echodrone can be viewed during the full four days in the Bonaparte dock, from 10:00 until dusk.
-SuperNova is organised by Flanders DC and Scale-Ups.eu with the support of the Flemish Government.
More info: www.supernovafest.eu
