Novimar

An important organisational element of the vessel train concept was the vessel train organizer. The vessel train organizer was the actor (either an existing one or a new entrant) that exploited and controlled the lead vessel of the vessel train and brought the different follower vessels together behind the lead vessel. This vessel train organizer needed to have a business concept in order to become a commercially viable company.

Business concepts were related to the different freight transport markets that NOVIMAR studied. We distinguished among two main types:

• Existing Waterborne freight markets: Cargo flows which were already transported on the waterborne transport system (maritime containers, coal, iron ore, oil, fuels, etc.).
• New waterborne freight markets: Cargo flows which were not transported on the waterborne transport system and were predominantly transported via Road transport (Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), E-commerce cargo, etc.).

Each of the these two main freight markets had different requirements to the vessel train and to the business concept of the vessel train organizer.