Mikael Lind Dr., Adjunct Professor in Maritime Informatics
Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) and Chalmers University of Technology
Sweden
Mikael.Lind@ri.se
Wolfgang LehmacherOperating Partner
Anchor Group
Switzerland
w.lehmacher@gmail.com
Global supply chains and logistics continue to face many challenges. Much of this is caused by limited access to reliable data, essential for effectively managing disruptions and accurately calculating emissions. The challenge is twofold: On the one hand, actors lack reliable data, and on the other hand, they are reluctant to share data. The answer to the challenge is a data-sharing community.
One recently established community is the VWT (virtualwatchtower.org) community. The solution backed by neutral research institutes was designed as a public good to overcome traditional fears around data sharing, like the potential exploitation of shared data. Launched in 2023, the VWT members selected two use cases to work on: disruption management and carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint calculations. In the last two years, the group has worked on gathering primary data for disruption management. The next step is to improve the primary data.
So far, the progress is promising. The community has monitored about 250 shipments from October 2024 until January 2025, generating approximately 20,000 datasets. This was possible with the help of Transporeon, a Trimble company, and IOTA, which provided its TWIN architecture. This article is about the findings and next steps of this community project.
A community of collaborative partners
VWT fosters a culture of collaboration. The community comprises leading shippers, transportation companies, and terminals. Leading technology providers, like Transporeon, Fujitsu, Descartes, Infor Nexus, and IOTA, joined the community to help advance the work towards the shared vision. The neutral backers, RISE, VTT, TalTech, and A*STAR’s IHPC, exemplify neutrality, competence, and strong governance (Figure 1).
Figure 1. The VWT community as of January 2025
Since 2023, VWT has run 15 bi-monthly community meetings, 21 monthly living lab sessions, and many dedicated workshops and working sessions. Weekly newsflashes keep the members informed. The VWT is regularly showcased at international events, including Nor-Shipping, Singapore Maritime Week, and LogiSYM. VWT regularly disseminates its work and progress in trade press and media.
Co-creating a bespoke solution
In April 2024, VWT demoed Prototype #1 based on real-life container shipments, thanks to data from engaged shippers like Stora Enso and Alleima and contributions from technology providers like Transporeon and Fujitsu.
VWT has started testing the TWIN infrastructure, a state-of-the-art distributed ledger technology-based platform designed for digital data sharing in a decentralized and federated environment. TWIN powers VWTnet, VWT's digital backbone. Through VWTnet, data is shared and turned into itineraries of the shipments monitored. The accuracy results from the focus on primary data.
A community approach to data accuracy
In 2025, the community has started to discuss new features. Roambee, a California-based supply chain intelligence provider and community member, contributed the idea of a lane risk indicator. A lane is a specific route for cargo movement, e.g., "Shenzhen Port to Long Beach Terminal". Lane risk can be assessed by analyzing real-time shipping data and historical data about disruptions as the basis for calculating a single risk score to quickly identify potential delays of goods. VWT partners share real-time data with VWT, allowing algorithms to estimate the likelihood of disruption. In a feedback loop, users validate or flag anomalies. A ‘lookup’ feature could enable shippers to see risk scores for chosen routes, aggregated tracking data, and lane health indicators. Publicly displaying information increases confidence in data accuracy as users can suggest corrections and add new lanes, improving data reliability and trust in the approach. This approach creates immediate value through lane risk scores, which are visible without integration. The presence of real-time sensors, sensor-reported data validation of stoppage trends, and detection of subsequent anomalies can further enhance the lane risk model.
The iterative improvements enhance data quality, which leads to more adoptions and trust in API connections, and the community grows naturally.
The network effect
The more members work on co-creating their solutions, the better they become, attracting, in turn, more members. Beyond the network effect, members recruit members: shippers bring their supply chain partners, forwarders, and carriers their shippers, and terminals, the carriers that use their infrastructure, to the community. The technology providers that help build and further VWTnet invite their customers to VWT.
Improved data accuracy through increased data sharing provides supply chain actors a basis for better decision-making. It enhances the capabilities of transport and freight management systems and platforms connected to VWTnet.
Closing remarks
The VWT community aims to build global transport's most widely used primary data-sharing tool. VWTnet is scheduled to go live in 2025, creating the foundation for widespread adoption to expand the VWT member base from 50 to 300. This will only be possible through a collaborative approach to community growth.
VWT, piloted by leading global supply chain community actors and orchestrated by national research institutes, offers a unique collaborative space for shippers, transport and terminal operators, technology providers, and researchers. Together, they are developing the technological capabilities required for a new supply chain and logistics era. The digital age requires collaboration, which opens the route to more community building. VWT sets a new precedent for sustainable, efficient, and resilient global supply chains by fostering collaboration and innovation to address common challenges.
In 2025, the community has started to discuss new features. Roambee, a California-based supply chain intelligence provider and community member, contributed the idea of a lane risk indicator. A lane is a specific route for cargo movement, e.g., "Shenzhen Port to Long Beach Terminal". Lane risk can be assessed by analyzing real-time shipping data and historical data about disruptions as the basis for calculating a single risk score to quickly identify potential delays of goods. VWT partners share real-time data with VWT, allowing algorithms to estimate the likelihood of disruption. In a feedback loop, users validate or flag anomalies. A ‘lookup’ feature could enable shippers to see risk scores for chosen routes, aggregated tracking data, and lane health indicators. Publicly displaying information increases confidence in data accuracy as users can suggest corrections and add new lanes, improving data reliability and trust in the approach. This approach creates immediate value through lane risk scores, which are visible without integration. The presence of real-time sensors, sensor-reported data validation of stoppage trends, and detection of subsequent anomalies can further enhance the lane risk model.
The iterative improvements enhance data quality, which leads to more adoptions and trust in API connections, and the community grows naturally.
The network effect
The more members work on co-creating their solutions, the better they become, attracting, in turn, more members. Beyond the network effect, members recruit members: shippers bring their supply chain partners, forwarders, and carriers their shippers, and terminals, the carriers that use their infrastructure, to the community. The technology providers that help build and further VWTnet invite their customers to VWT.
Improved data accuracy through increased data sharing provides supply chain actors a basis for better decision-making. It enhances the capabilities of transport and freight management systems and platforms connected to VWTnet.
Closing remarks
The VWT community aims to build global transport's most widely used primary data-sharing tool. VWTnet is scheduled to go live in 2025, creating the foundation for widespread adoption to expand the VWT member base from 50 to 300. This will only be possible through a collaborative approach to community growth.
VWT, piloted by leading global supply chain community actors and orchestrated by national research institutes, offers a unique collaborative space for shippers, transport and terminal operators, technology providers, and researchers. Together, they are developing the technological capabilities required for a new supply chain and logistics era. The digital age requires collaboration, which opens the route to more community building. VWT sets a new precedent for sustainable, efficient, and resilient global supply chains by fostering collaboration and innovation to address common challenges.