Usually innovation in factories is associated with increased productivity, however innovation and technology can also be used to increase safety and protect human lives, an area which is challenging for any company that employs many people. At the same time, solutions are required to provide startup companies with areas for experimentation in light of the lack of suitable infrastructure.
Ashdod Port Company is making efforts to promote safety solutions, which can be developed and adopted. A tender that was recently published by Ashdod Port Company invites startups to propose new processes, new products or improvements for existing products, which would increase employee safety, reduce damage to equipment, goods, vehicles and work tools; with the objective of saving lives, cutting costs and avoiding damage.
This is a joint tender with the Manufacturers Association of Israel that was published under the name “safety innovation" and is open to any company, new or old, that can perform POC during the upcoming year. The companies that are selected will conduct a pilot on the port premises, where they can integrate their products into the port's systems and even have the option of being acquired by Ashdod Port.
Ashdod Port faces daily operational challenges. More than a thousand employees at the docks, about 5,000 trucks entering every day, megaships and cranes, as well as hundreds of operational vehicles that are spread out in an area of about 2,000 dunams, make Ashdod Port a challenging place from an operational standpoint.
Shiko Zana, CEO of the Port Company, made safety his top priority, and since he took over about a year ago he is been making efforts to promote a safe and responsible work environment. “Ashdod Port is one of the largest operational factories in the Israeli economy and as a primary strategic asset we must ensure that functional continuity is maintained. As part of a wide-ranging strategic to integrate technologies in our processes, we decided to adopt innovation in the area of safety as well and we are calling on startups to submit proposals to participate in a unique field of experimentation at Ashdod Port".
For the startups this is a significant opportunity, since a pilot's success in such a field of experimentation will serve a proof of the real capabilities of their technology, which will provide access to additional operational factories in the local and global industry.
