Partners ensure smooth sailing in maritime hub (hktdc.com)


	All systems go: Port traffic runs smoothly in Hong Kong thanks to a complicated system set up by Dutch company HITT

Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour is one of the busiest ports in the world. As a major hub in the global supply chain, the harbour is served by some 80 international shipping lines with over 450 container liner services per week to over 500 destinations worldwide.

Yet despite this intense traffic, maritime incidents are rare. And it's largely thanks to the Hong Kong Marine Department's partnership with Dutch company HITT Traffic (Holland Institute of Traffic Technology), an expert in port systems management.

HITT Traffic, a division of the Amsterdam-listed HITT NV, devised the complicated Hong Kong system after port authorities sought a global partner to upgrade its existing system. HITT's experience in successfully implementing comprehensive systems in Rotterdam and the Scheldt River estuary/Antwerp Harbour, Belgium made it "the only party that could do the job," company Chief Financial Officer John van Asperen said.

Planning ahead


	HITT’s Chief Financial Officer John van Asperen says the company is pleased to have such a prestigious customer in Asia

"It was not an easy task. The new system needed to not only cope with the present port traffic situation, but be designed to handle the projected increase. Hong Kong also had specific requirements, since the harbour and shipping lanes are in one confined area, along with passenger ferries and private vessels."

HITT teamed with Hong Kong communications provider PCCW in the manufacture and deployment of the system for its customer, the Hong Kong Marine Department. The latter proved to be a reliable partner, Mr van Asperen said.

As the system had a projected 10 to 15 year lifespan, and would need to be regularly maintained and adapted to the ever changing environment that is normal in harbours the size of Hong Kong's, HITT decided (in November 2000) to set up an office and incorporate HITT (HK) Ltd. "We were pleased to be active in Hong Kong and to have a prestigious reference in the Far East," Mr van Asperen said.

Hong Kong is a good place to do business as the people are knowledgeable, speak fluent English, want to learn and are entrepreneurial, he added. Hong Kong's business infrastructure is also well developed. "Furthermore our customer, the Hong Kong Marine Department, is very professional and as such they pose the right questions. Although this is sometimes very difficult we like this as it smoothes the acceptance and operation of the system later in the project."

Concerted effort

Describing the partnership as "a concerted effort", Mr van Asperen said the customer's staff are trained to do first-line maintenance with the local back up of HITT (HK) and remote assistance from HITT Traffic in the Netherlands. A Dutch expert regularly visits the site to oversee necessary actions. The ability to travel to Hong Kong via direct flights is a distinct advantage, he said.

The kind of sophisticated systems which HITT has installed in Hong Kong would not be necessary in less developed areas, Mr van Asperen added. "It is kind of action-reaction. Due to the economic growth, transport in and around Hong Kong is growing tremendously. This growth requires systems to guide the traffic in a safe and efficient manner. In turn these systems cannot be deployed in less advanced countries/areas, but are not yet necessary there either."

HITT, which also operates a port traffic management system in Macau, is a nominee for the Cathay Pacific China Trader Award 2006.