Hamburg's first mayor Tschentscher visits HHLA Sky

The Port of Hamburg welcomed an interested guest: On January 17, 2022, Hamburg's First Mayor, Dr. Peter Tschentscher, visited HHLA Sky for a first-hand look at the start-up's drone technology.

Together with Angela Titzrath, Chairwoman of the Executive Board of the parent company HHLA Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG, the politician received in-depth insight on his tour of HHLA Sky's innovative drone control station at the Tollerort container terminal.

The control center's globally unparalleled software enables industrial clients to simultaneously control and monitor more than 100 automated drones (UAV) or even autonomous vehicles (AGV) and concurrently transmit their video streams, image and sensor data to multiple clients in real time.

Tschentscher was impressed by the practical demonstration. The drones and the HHLA Sky control station have already been in use at the Port of Hamburg since 2019. The two HHLA Sky managing directors Matthias Gronstedt and Lothar Müller expressed their thanks for the interest. "Our team is currently working at full steam on national and international cooperations and technological advancements," Müller added. "We look forward to being able to present Mayor Tschentscher with further innovations and application options very soon."

In reference to the technological background of the HHLA Sky control station: If large fleets of automated unmanned aerial systems are controlled simultaneously, safely and accurately by an integrated control station, processes in industrial logistics or security monitoring can be significantly accelerated. Possible operation sites include ports, oil and gas refineries, chemical plants and extensive demarcated areas. Here, drones can also take over tasks that are dangerous for employees: for example, inspection work at lofty heights on cranes, bridges or on defective high-voltage lines that pose potential health risks or fire hazards.

Hamburg’s First Mayor Dr. Peter Tschentscher (2nd from right) visited the Hamburg drone start-up HHLA Sky. Angela Titzrath, Chairwoman of the Executive Board of the parent company HHLA (2nd from left), and the Managing Directors of HHLA Sky, Matthias Gronstedt (l.) and Lothar Müller (r.) explained the functions of the drone control center at a container terminal in the Port of Hamburg. Photo: HHLA / Thies Rätzke