Episode 29: Gerald Hirt, Managing Director, Hamburg Vessel Coordination Center | Port call optimization and terminal perspective

In this episode of the Teqplay Vodcast, we sit down with Gerald Hirt, Managing Director of the Hamburg Vessel Coordination Center (HVCC), to explore port call optimization from the terminal perspective.

Gerald shares how HVCC was created to solve real operational bottlenecks in the Port of Hamburg and how it has grown into a unique neutral coordination role between terminals, carriers, authorities, and nautical service providers. We discuss why trusted collaboration matters just as much as technology, how shared operational visibility improves predictability and resource planning, and what it takes to make just-in-time port calls work in a complex environment like the River Elbe.

We also dive into the practical realities behind collaborative decision-making in ports: change management, balancing competing interests, handling different cargo flows, and connecting planning across terminals, vessel types, and even ports. Gerald explains why central coordination and data sharing remain foundational for reducing waste, improving berth utilization, increasing nautical safety, and lowering emissions.

This conversation is a grounded look at what it takes to move from fragmented planning to coordinated execution, and why the next frontier may be better data exchange between ports.