Europe’s largest inland shipping company is taking a bold step into the digital future. Partnering with Cologne-based neuland.ai, HGK Shipping is introducing its own AI platform to make operations smarter, faster, and more connected.
When the world’s waterways are being reshaped by technology, HGK Shipping is steering ahead. The company announced that it will launch its own in-house AI application this November in cooperation with neuland.ai, a Cologne-based technology firm known for helping medium-sized businesses harness digital tools.
For HGK Shipping, this move is about more than just modernizing systems. It is about setting a new direction for inland shipping, one of Europe’s oldest yet most essential transport sectors.
“The introduction of our own AI solution marks a significant milestone along our journey towards becoming a digital shipping company,” said Steffen Bauer, Chief Executive Officer of HGK AG and Chairman of the Managing Board of HGK Shipping. “We’re particularly delighted to have found a strong partner from the region in the form of neuland.ai based in Cologne – this is evidence of the innovative strength that exists in the Rhine-based economy.”
According to Kevin Stepan, Head of IT Business Partner Management at HGK Shipping, the initiative aims to create a more connected and responsive organization. “Using AI, we want to intelligently network our internal processes, accelerate data-based decisions and enable new services for our customers,” he said.
Neuland.ai’s Chief Executive Officer and founder Karl-Heinz Land said the collaboration is about making technology serve people. “We’re supporting HGK Shipping to enable it to become an AI-first company that is not only optimising its customer services but is also increasing its employees’ satisfaction levels,” Land said. “It’s our goal to consistently analyse processes and improve them using modern AI solutions – by constantly focusing on people, who receive better support for their work through these technologies.”
The partnership builds on HGK Shipping’s track record of innovation, which includes projects like remote vessel operations and award-winning designs for sustainable transport on inland waterways. With about 300 vessels carrying everything from chemicals to dry goods, the company’s commitment to modernization is positioning it as a leader in Europe’s maritime digitalization movement.
In an industry often defined by tradition and regulation, HGK Shipping’s latest venture shows that even on Europe’s rivers, the future is digital, and already underway.
