Port Innovators Network
Connected River
Discovery Hamburg


Discovery Hamburg:
Your network for tomorrow's maritime experts

Ever since the launch of the Port Development Plan 2040, it has been clear that the Port of Hamburg must successfully shape the transformation of the working world to ensure its long-term success. This requires skilled workers with the right mindset. After all, good work and future-oriented qualifications will certainly retain employees at the Port of Hamburg, but will this perspective also inspire young people to choose a career in the industry?

Based on the "common challenge" identified in the Connected River project, several solutions were outlined and explored with experts. It quickly became clear that the Discovery.Hamburg tour would be a good way to recruit staff in the competition for skilled workers. Since December 2023, the Discovery.Hamburg-Tour tour has been in the pilot phase!

Discover maritime and logistics innovations

Discovery Hamburg is an exciting and interactive tour through Hamburg's HafenCity with real encounters. Other areas of the Port of Hamburg will be added in the future. Under the motto "Discover the secrets of the port up close and personal", we offer lively tours with a variety of company visits, e.g. to the Hamburg Port Authority, HHLA, Dettmer Group, Hapag-Lloyd, Fab City Haus, start-ups, the Digital Hub Logistics and many other innovative partners.

The Discovery.Hamburg tour is primarily aimed at pupils, students and young professionals. However, the focus is also on delegations and B2B exchange. The interactive scavenger hunt is designed to convey the logistics and maritime world as well as the Port of Hamburg and to inspire people. Through real encounters and experiences, we create a special connection and generate lasting and unifying moments. Together we want to represent the port and logistics and show how innovative and modern the port world is today.

Good reasons for partner companies
Create visibility

Nothing is more important than building a memorable employer brand. Together, as a port community, we can achieve this and provide a glimpse behind the scenes. In addition, the Discovery.Hamburg tour offers companies in the Port of Hamburg the opportunity to stay in the minds of potential or existing business partners. Business delegations also embark on the "digital scavenger hunt" and could soon be talking to you!

Inspiring talent

With our tour of maritime and logistics hidden champions, innovation drivers and digital innovators, we inspire trainees, students and young professionals for the maritime and logistics industry and show what is currently being developed. Through games, fun, excitement and real-life experiences, we impart knowledge, offer insights into exciting companies and provide contact points for long-term networking with the community.

Build a community

Participants will be digitally contacted by us and invited to join the community - in the best case, this will also result in a long-term connection between you as a partner and the participating young professionals. The channel to the participants of the digital scavenger hunt can be used to communicate news about the companies and the Port of Hamburg. In addition, further offers with new priorities can strengthen the connection to former participants in the long term.

Common challenge: shortage of skilled labour

In May 2023, homePORT organised its first stakeholder workshop as part of the CR project. The purpose was to bring together different partners and stakeholders and identify a common challenge. As well as acting as a catalyst, the workshop triggered a series of follow-up events at the HPA's Digital Hub.

At the final event in August 2023, stakeholders identified and gathered the most important issues for the port, such as education, training, new talent and a skilled workforce.

A series of events focusing on education and training are already taking place. During the digital ideation phase in the summer months of 2023, various ideas were developed and expanded to be tested in the market. The workshops also highlighted the importance of considering the needs of the new generation as well as those of existing employees. After an internal stakeholder vote, it was decided to further develop the idea of the Discovery.Hamburg tour and test it in reality with real users.

Discovery Hamburg contributes to the 2040 port development plan

Overall, it should be noted that Discovery Hamburg is also strongly orientated towards the action goals of the Port Development Plan 2040 and addresses these goals:

  • 1

    Identifying skills needs and development potential: This is done by targeting partners and including them in the partner register.

  • 2

    Networking stakeholders: creating prospects for employees and young people: In addition to the tours, this objective is also achieved through the Network Community, which is based on the Innovation Community. We deliberately invite former participants to join and thus actively network them with the companies.

  • 3

    Make the port more attractive as a place to work and attract new talent: Even if we cannot increase the attractiveness of the port as a place to work, we can bring interested parties to the port and show them how exciting and versatile the port is as a place to work. In this way, we are convinced that we can also attract new talent to the maritime and logistics sector.

Download the Port Development Plan 2040 now: https://hafen2040.hamburg/downloads or download the PDF: „operational Implementation“ (4,1 MB).