Acronym: NAYS
Project Title: Exploitation of Maritime Information for the Interoperability of Cruise Supply Chains and Services
Duration: 30 months (01/01/2019 – 30/06/2021)

Description: The Mediterranean Sea is the 2nd most popular cruise destination in the world, presenting significant opportunities for the further development of the sector, enhancing its competitiveness thus facilitating the strengthening of the economy in the national and regional level. NAYS aims at enhancing the contribution of the cruise sector in local economies in the Eastern Mediterranean region, focusing in particular on Greece and Cyprus, where the current impact is still quite limited. This is expected to be realized through the investigation of the needs of cruise supply chains, as well as through the setting of appropriate conditions and the development of efficient tools for supporting the integration of local markets into the cruise supply chain.
More specifically, the project aims to develop an interoperable service system targeting cruise supply chains, formulating at the same time a collaboration network between all relevant stakeholders and enhancing information exchange between them. Within this context, an e-marketplace, with a focus on local products will be developed, ensuring at the same time the system’s interoperability with other relevant information systems. To this end, direct information exchange between port authorities, cruise companies and local producers and suppliers can be facilitated, supporting also direct communication and addressing and resolving issues that may occur through the use of specialized and innovative tools and mechanisms.
The proposed electronic platform will be pilot-tested for demonstrating its interoperable capabilities as well as its effectiveness with regard information exchange between all relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, within the framework of the project, opportunities for the commercial exploitation of the platform beyond the lifetime of the project will be investigated, so that local products are better promoted for supplying cruise vessels calling at Greek and Cypriot ports.
The approach followed in NAUS proves to be innovative for the sector, since it contributes to the coordinated monitoring of the activities of cruise vessels and local supply chains, considering also service conditions in the cruise ports. Through the proper utilization of relevant information, within the time window that is available for the supply of cruise vessels, important benefits may be derived with regard for example the reduction of social costs as well as of the environmental impact imposed to the urban regions surrounding the cruise ports. The project is being implemented within the framework of the Interreg Programme V-A “Greece – Cyprus 2014 – 2020” and is being co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and National Funds of Greece and Cyprus.

Objectives: The main objectives and results of project can be summarized to the following:

• Mapping of cruise networks in the Mediterranean Sea, focusing on Greece and Cyprus.
• Enhancing knowledge with regard to cruise supply chains and the associated role of maritime information.
• Develop an e-marketplace and value-added services, integrating innovative techniques and state-of-the-art technologies, and promoting sustainable transport.
• Develop an interoperable service system supporting cruise supply chains at cruise ports in the countries of the Programme, through the use of maritime information.
• Support maritime information exchange that are available through existing conventional information sources or the Maritime Single Window.
• Form a cooperation between all relevant stakeholders, and in particular between port authorities, port authorities and cruise companies and cruise companies and local producers and suppliers.
• Pilot test and evaluate the system.
• Analyze the relevant market and develop a business, promotion and exploitation plan, for the commercialization of the platform after the lifetime of the project.

HIT key role and responsibilities: In NAUS, HIT is responsible for the following activities:

• Mapping of cruise networks in the Mediterranean Sea, with a focus on those calling at Greek ports
• Forming the basic requirements for the development of the platform’s architecture, including also the services it will provide
• Plan the pilot-testing of the platform, and providing support and guidance to its prospective users
• Multi-level assessment of the platform using specific forms
• Investigation of the sustainability of the platform and its services, using SWOT and PORTER analyses, for its commercial exploitation after the end of the lifetime of the project
• Coordination of actions for proposing a proper organizational management scheme for the platform, as well as developing a business, promotion and exploitation plan.

For further information, please visit the NAUS website.

Contact person:
Lefteris Sdoukopoulos
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Tel. +302111069596