ZIM Integrated Shipping Services and Data Science Group (DSG) have committed to establishing a Centre of Excellence for research in artificial intelligence (AI).

The centre will develop AI and machine learning solutions from the design stage to implementation to provide ZIM a decisive competitive edge in the global arena. The centre’s areas of focus include logistics, operations, finance, and trade.

The centre will employ teams from both ZIM and DSG, including AI experts and engineers, who will work on the evaluation, validation, and development of the AI projects and their implementation into ZIM’s operational environment. The team will develop advanced models to forecast demand, plan shipping routes, automate logistical processes, and more. They will do this while analysing the data accumulated from the shipping fleet, which carries tens of thousands of cargo containers to various seaports, considering the different regulations to which the company is subject.

DSG provides ZIM with knowledge in data science and machine learning, along with its methodology and the experience it has gained over years of operating in various vertical markets. This will allow ZIM the rapid, efficient, and creative development of advanced AI solutions. ZIM will provide the business insights necessary to establish the solutions and the technological infrastructure required for day-to-day operations.

Eli Glickman, president and CEO of ZIM, said: “Integrating smart solutions into ZIM’s technological apparatus is a central aspect of our vision to lead the field of maritime transportation by using a variety of advanced technologies. We chose DSG, a leader in the world of artificial intelligence with experience working on large-scale, international projects in the field, and we are convinced that this collaboration will lead to the realization of this vision while promoting innovation and ground-breaking developments.”

Dr. Elan Sasson, CEO and co-founder of Data Science Group (DSG), said: “The COVID-19 crisis has led to a massive upsurge in shipping throughout the globe. This field, which was already competitive in the past, has become even more so, and this trend is expected to continue to strengthen. Shipping companies must be adequately prepared to meet this growing demand while constantly optimizing their decision-making mechanisms. The only way to do this is by using AI-based forecasting models. We see our partnership with ZIM as particularly strategic considering the unique processes characteristic of the shipping industry and in light of ZIM’s incredibly advanced technological infrastructure, which we have not seen in similar customers.”