On September 3, 2026, North Rhine-Westphalia's State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Paul Höller, presented a funding notice for the project "CellPort – Network for Smart Logistics" to Duisburg's Mayor Sören Link and representatives of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg Business & Innovation GmbH (DBI), and startport GmbH. 

The Chair for Information Systems, Digital Innovations and Performance Management, led by Prof. Dr. Frederik Ahlemann, is among the University of Duisburg-Essen's academic partners in the project and will help design and deliver MasterClass sessions for the participating start-up teams, together with Prof. Dr. Ralf Plattfaut (Chair for Business Information Systems and Transformation Management) and Prof. Dr. Hannes Rothe (Chair for Sustainability and Innovation in Digital Ecosystems).

The award, made under the state's 5-StandorteProgramm for former coal regions, provides around two million euros in funding through the federal STARK program over the next four years. CellPort establishes an innovation and transfer ecosystem for the logistics sector at the Duisburg Gateway Terminal, where a dedicated 5G test field operated by Duisburger Hafen AG allows technologies such as autonomous vehicles, digital twins, and IoT applications to be developed and tested under real-world conditions.

At the heart of the project is the CellPort MasterClass, a twelve-month development program that will support around 30 technology-driven start-ups across four cohorts, giving them structured access to scientific expertise, workshops, coaching, and a fully equipped prototyping workspace. Through this format, the three chairs bring research-based perspectives on digital innovation, information systems, and business transformation directly into the start-ups' development process.

Project leadership and marketing for CellPort rest with Duisburg Business & Innovation GmbH, with startport GmbH contributing its start-up support infrastructure. The University's academic involvement is coordinated by the Center for Logistics and Transport (ZLV). The project runs from June 2026 through May 2030.

Find more information soon on the website of ZLV: https://www.uni-due.de/zlv/cellport.php