The international PCO Network Meeting (PCO=Port Call Optimization) will take place in Bremerhaven from 7 to 9 September 2026. The organisers expect to see roughly 70 participants from ports, international organisations and the maritime industry. The event will be hosted by the Ports of Bremen & Bremerhaven under the overall management of the Port Authority Bremen.
Port Call Optimization refers to improving the coordination of port calls. Common data standards, reliable time statements and clearly specified information channels are intended to facilitate planning the arrival, stay and departure of ships more reliably.
One of the reasons for this meeting is the publication of the Port Call Optimization Guide in March 2026. The guide was drawn up by experts from the ports, shipping business and maritime organisations and by the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) as well as the International Harbour Masters Association (IHMA). It is endorsed by more than 40 maritime organisations. The guide was first presented in March to the Facilitation Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO FAL 50) in London.
The guide provides an internationally agreed framework for the electronic interchange of key nautical and operational data of a port call. It is based on existing standards of the IMO, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and transforms these standards into a joint application framework for ports and shipping.
The meeting in Bremerhaven will now address the practical implementation. The agenda covers a wide range, including experience acquired during initial application, technical standards, data infrastructures, testbeds and quality criteria for nautical and operational data. Papers will be given by representatives of organisations such as the IAPH, IHMA and IHO, of the ports of Gothenburg, Tema and Rotterdam, and by maritime business enterprises.
The event will also address the question of how the quality and success of port call optimization can be quantified, focussing on key performance indicators for data quality and consider whether harmonised data can help to make processes more predictable, reduce waiting times and improve coordination.
Stephan Berger, Harbour Master and Head of Port Authority Bremen: “We are delighted to have brought the PCO Network Meeting to Bremerhaven now, after Rotterdam and Valencia. Around 70 international participants will get together here to discuss the next steps for implementing the PCO Guide. For the ports of Bremen, this is an excellent opportunity to play a role in shaping international research in this sector and, at the same time, show that we have already been investigating the topic of port call optimization for a long time now.”
The ports of Bremen have also been working intensively on the subject of port call optimization for some time. The Port Authority Bremen contributes the regulatory perspective on the safety and efficiency of shipping to the international research work and is collaborating on the further development and practical implementation of common standards.
Robert Howe, Managing Director of bremenports comments: We have already begun to tackle this subject with our PCO Digi Weser Project, which is managed by TÜV Rheinland, coordinated by bremenports and is part of the “Digital Testbeds” programme funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport. The aim is to create a digital platform, together with the Port Authority Bremen and other partners, that will improve the processes between shipping companies, port authorities, locks, pilots, tugboat services and terminals. The international expertise that will join forces at this meeting organised by Harbour Master Berger is bound to help this work.”
Press representatives wishing to report on location or capture sound bites are requested to contact Harbour Master Stephan Berger ([email protected]) for the purpose of coordination.
