HVCC Hamburg Vessel Coordination Center GmbH

What HVCC Hamburg Vessel Coordination Center GmbH does

HVCC Hamburg Vessel Coordination Center GmbH is the central, neutral, cross-company coordination point for ocean, feeder, and barge vessel traffic in the Port of Hamburg. Founded in 2009 as Feeder Logistik Zentrale GmbH and rebranded in 2015, the company is a joint venture between Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA, 66%) and EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg GmbH (34%), with headquarters at Container Terminal Tollerort in Hamburg. Operating 24/7 across two coordination departments—Nautical Terminal Coordination (NTC) for large ocean vessels and Feeder Logistics Center (FLC) for feeder and barge vessels—HVCC handles arrival registration, rotation planning, berth reservation submission to Hamburg Port Authority AöR, and conflict resolution for multi-terminal vessel calls.

The company's technology core is the Port Collaboration Platform, a modular system built on PRISE (Port-River Information System Elbe, transferred to HVCC ownership in 2019) and extended with proprietary dashboard modules, Gantt chart visualizations, AIS tracking, and event-based notifications. Digital products include the configurable HVCC Dashboard, the PRISE data-sharing platform, and API Port-Call-Data—offered in three annual subscription packages (2-day forecast, long-term forecast with voyage numbers, and detailed port call events with berth information) delivered via REST APIs in JSON format. Integrations extend to Rotterdam port, Unifeeder shipping systems, and ship ECDIS for direct RTA communication (2020 Wärtsilä/Carnival Maritime PoC). Technical implementation and operation are handled by long-standing partner DAKOSY AG.

HVCC's business model combines recurring coordination service fees from terminals and shipping lines with annual API subscription revenue. Go-to-market is B2B enterprise-direct, reaching customers through the customer portal (hvcc.dakosy.de), API integration, and dedicated 24/7 coordination contacts, leveraging the established commercial relationships of its HHLA and EUROGATE shareholders. Customer concentration is high and structurally anchored to its two JV parents plus the Hamburg terminal set (HHLA, EUROGATE, Hansaport, Unikai) and the Hamburg Port Authority AöR as the public counterpart.

Name

HVCC Hamburg Vessel Coordination Center GmbH

Legal name

HVCC Hamburg Vessel Coordination Center GmbH

Website

https://hvcc-hamburg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HVCC is the neutral, cross-company coordination joint venture between HHLA (66%) and EUROGATE (34%) that provides 24/7 vessel traffic coordination and a Port Collaboration Platform for the Port of Hamburg's ocean, feeder, and barge segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Port Coordination Services

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Port Operations Control Center / Port Call Orchestration (TLAHAFAI)

Keywords

• Port vessel coordination
• Maritime logistics platform
• Vessel traffic management
• Port collaboration software
• Shipping coordination services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Coordination Services (B2B): HVCC provides 24/7 operational coordination of vessel arrivals, departures, and rotations for terminals and shipping lines in the Port of Hamburg. Services are offered to terminals and shipping lines as a neutral, cross-company coordination point. Revenue is derived from coordination fees paid by terminals and shipping lines for access to the Port Collaboration Platform and operational coordination services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HVCC provides 24/7 central, neutral, cross-company coordination of all vessel traffic — large ocean ships, feeder vessels, and inland barges — in the Port of Hamburg, including passage planning, arrival/departure scheduling, multi-terminal rotation, and digital berth registration. Its Port Collaboration Platform delivers this coordination through dedicated operational departments (NTC for ocean vessels, FLC for feeder and barge vessels) and digital modules including the HVCC Dashboard, PRISE (Port River Information System Elbe), and the API Port-Call-Data REST API for B2B data integration.

Product overview

HVCC operates as a Port Collaboration Platform offering a modular portfolio of coordination services and digital products. The core platform combines two operational departments — Nautical Terminal Coordination (NTC) for large ocean vessels and Feeder Logistics Center (FLC) for feeder and barge vessels — supported by digital modules including the Dashboard (for data visualization and real-time port situational awareness), PRISE (for vessel data sharing and berth registration), and API Port-Call-Data (for B2B integration of vessel schedule data). These products work together to provide central communication and coordination across all major stakeholders in the Port of Hamburg.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HVCC Dashboard Central coordination and optimization dashboard that aggregates and validates planning data across all Port of Hamburg operations, providing configurable visualizations of PRISE data via Gantt charts, berth planning, environmental data (tide, wind), large-vessel traffic forecasts, feeder and barge rotation planning, AIS functions with automated event messages for waypoint passage, and configurable notifications. Used by registered terminals, shipping lines, authorities, and service providers via the HVCC customer portal.
• PRISE (Port River Information System Elbe) Data sharing platform providing all information regarding vessel arrivals and departures from terminals, pilots, shipping agents/brokers, tugs, mooring lines, and the harbour master's division; enables digital berth registration of terminals with Hamburg Port Authority AöR; usable as a standalone system or as a module in the HVCC Dashboard.
• API Port-Call-Data B2B REST API providing a real-time digital sailing list with vessel arrival and departure schedule data from Hamburg container terminals; delivers ship identification (IMO, call sign, vessel name), voyage numbers, previous and subsequent ports, and berth information; offered in three packages (2-day forecast, long-term forecast with voyage numbers, detailed port call events with berth information); delivered via push or pull API in JSON format.
• Nautical Terminal Coordination (NTC) 24/7 coordination service for large vessel traffic in the Port of Hamburg, serving as the central point of contact for shipping lines, terminals, and service providers; provides passage planning from pre-port through Elbe River navigation, consolidated operational communication with Hamburg Port Authority and pilots, and conflict resolution for vessel arrivals.
• Feeder Logistics Center (FLC) 24/7 coordination service for feeder vessel operations in the Port of Hamburg, serving as the central point of contact for terminals, carriers, authorities, and nautical service providers; handles arrival registration, rotation planning, stowage planning assistance, and coordinates timely ordering of pilots, tugs, and mooring lines.
• Barge Vessel Coordination 24/7 coordination service for inland/barge vessel operations in the Port of Hamburg using the same work processes as feeder coordination; provides a central point of contact for barge operators, arrival coordination, improved handling quality at terminals, and reliable rotation planning supporting hinterland transport.

Quantifiable outcome

• Resource and emission reduction for port stakeholders through optimized vessel traffic flow
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• HPC Hamburg Port ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023HPC Hamburg Port Consulting served as the technical project manager for the Digital Outer Weser preliminary study, conducted in cooperation with EUROGATE and bremenports, and presented by HVCC in 2023. The study examined the potential for digitizing coordination processes in the Outer Weser navigation territory.
• BremenportsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Bremenports collaborated with HVCC and EUROGATE on the 2023 preliminary study for Digital Outer Weser, exploring the extension of digital vessel coordination processes to the Outer Weser region beyond Hamburg's jurisdiction.
• Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021DCSA collaborated with HVCC and HPA on the world's first pilot for a 'digital handshake' between carriers, terminals, and port authorities in 2021. The pilot demonstrated transparent sharing of standardized timestamps. Based on this pilot, DCSA developed the Just-In-Time Port Call and Operational Vessel Schedule standards, which are now fully implemented in HVCC systems.
• DAKOSY AGcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2012DAKOSY AG handles the technical software implementation and operation of HVCC's systems, including the PRISE platform. Founded as a port logistics software specialist, DAKOSY provides ongoing technical development and operational support for the Port Collaboration Platform under technical leadership. The company also hosts the HVCC customer portal (hvcc.dakosy.de) and API infrastructure.
• Hamburg Port Authority AöR (HPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012The Hamburg Port Authority is the public authority responsible for port management and nautical coordination in Hamburg. HVCC digitally submits berth reservations to HPA via its platform, and the NTC department works closely with HPA's harbour master's division in a unique public-private partnership for vessel traffic management. HPA benefits from HVCC's data platform for berth registration and traffic coordination.
• Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009HHLA is the majority shareholder of HVCC with a 66% stake. HHLA is a leading European port operator and logistics company. As the founding joint venture partner, HHLA provides terminal operations expertise, funding for system development (including IHATEC and BWI-funded projects), and serves as the operator of Container Terminal Tollerort where HVCC's headquarters are located.
• EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009EUROGATE is the minority shareholder of HVCC with a 34% stake. EUROGATE operates container terminals in Germany and is a founding joint venture partner alongside HHLA. The globally unique shareholder structure of HHLA (66%) and EUROGATE (34%) forms the foundation of HVCC's collaborative approach.
• Unifeeder A/ScoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2004Unifeeder A/S was an early project partner in the founding FLZ initiative and continues as a connected shipping line partner. A bidirectional interface was established between Unifeeder's operations systems and HVCC as part of the IHATEC-funded development, further optimizing feeder vessel coordination. Unifeeder operates feeder shipping services in Northern Europe.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• E2open: E2open is a global supply chain connectivity platform that absorbed INTTRA (container shipping booking platform) and GT Nexus. It offers broader logistics orchestration capabilities than HVCC but increasingly overlaps in port-call and vessel schedule coordination for global shipping lines.
• CargoSmart: CargoSmart is a global container shipping platform providing schedule management, port call optimization, and shipment visibility tools to ocean carriers and terminals. It competes with HVCC in the broader port-call optimization space but serves a much wider geographic scope and customer base across global shipping.
• CMA CGM: CMA CGM is the world's third-largest container shipping line and has invested heavily in port digitalization and direct terminal coordination systems. While primarily a carrier rather than a coordination platform, its internal digital initiatives increasingly overlap with the neutral coordination services HVCC provides to shipping lines.

Direct peers

• Portbase: Portbase is the Dutch port community system serving the Port of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, providing a neutral coordination and data platform connecting terminals, shipping lines, authorities, and service providers. It is the most directly comparable peer to HVCC, operating an analogous neutral coordinator role in Europe's other leading container port complex.
• Portic: Portic is the port community system for Spanish ports (headquartered in Barcelona), offering a digital platform that connects shipping lines, terminals, authorities, and freight forwarders. It is directly comparable to HVCC as a national port coordination platform with similar stakeholder integration and documentation workflows.
• SOGET: SOGET is the port community system for the Port of Le Havre (HAROPA), providing a single digital platform that connects maritime and logistics stakeholders. It serves the same neutral coordinator function as HVCC for a major European port complex, with comparable customer segments and data integration scope.

Others

• DAKOSY AG: DAKOSY AG is HVCC's core technology partner since 2012, operating the PRISE platform, hosting the HVCC customer portal and API infrastructure, and providing ongoing software development. While not a competitor, DAKOSY operates adjacent port logistics software for the Hamburg ecosystem and represents the closest enabling technology peer.

Regional players

• Kale Logistics Solutions: Kale Logistics is an Indian port technology provider offering port community systems, terminal operating systems, and logistics platforms. It serves a comparable neutral coordinator function for Indian ports but operates in a different geography, making it a regional rather than direct competitor to HVCC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hvcc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HVCC Hamburg Vessel Coordination Center GmbH