POLO Port Activity is already in use at more than 30 ports and is a daily tool for hundreds of people. In connection with the launch of Maritime Traffic Notification Service NEMO, the application will also include vessel notifications in accordance with the European Maritime Single Window (EMSW) regulation as a new feature next year. This will enable vessels to submit port call-related vessel notifications via POLO both to Finland and to the EU.
"POLO is a widely used tool, and we wanted to enable vessel notifications with the same familiar tool that people already use. NEMO and its user interface are very much regulated, while POLO is more flexible and offers the possibility to implement integrations and other changes that support and facilitate individual process needs," says Petri Kalske, Head of Maritime Solutions at Fintraffic.
It will be possible to submit vessel notifications via POLO as early as autumn 2025.
NEMO will be Finland's national "single window" for maritime traffic notification, and will replace the current Portnet service in early 2026. The NEMO interfaces also allow vessel notifications to be made in external systems, and integration will be available to all system users.
POLO provides even more accurate situational data for winter navigation
Efficient and timely winter navigation services ensure the smooth and safe flow of Finnish shipping during the winter season. Fintraffic and the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency are working closely together to develop information on winter shipping timetables. The aim is to provide icebreakers, ports and the entire logistics chain with better and more easily accessible information from POLO, enabling icebreakers to obtain more accurate and up-to-date status information directly from ports.
“Planning and scheduling vessel traffic is challenging in icy conditions. The aim of the development work is to provide icebreakers with better information on ports, in particular on the departure times of non-piloted vessels. At the same time, POLO will receive status information from icebreakers and assisted vessels. Improved information exchange and an up-to-date situational awareness can improve the efficiency of winter navigation, which in turn will generate cost savings and reduce emissions," says Petri Kalske.
POLO's winter navigation data for icebreakers will be tested for the first time this winter. The service is being piloted at the ports of Kokkola and Kaskinen, and the aim is already to expand it to cover the whole country during this winter season.
Development work on POLO Port Activity is part of Fintraffic’s maritime traffic management ecosystem work, in which the exchange of data between shipping and its logistics chains and the construction of a situation awareness is promoted through close cooperation between maritime actors and the use of new digital solutions. All ports and other maritime and logistics actors are welcome to participate in POLO Port Activity, which operates as a SaaS service. The port's user interface enabling digitalisation and communication is based on an open ecosystem and open interfaces, which strengthens cooperation both within the port community and between ports. POLO Port Activity is already in use at more than 30 ports and has about 1,500 users from around 200 organisations. The service covers end-to-end operations and vessel visits.
