GERMANY/AUSTRIA. Fraport Group has been awarded the 2021 Travel Innovation Award by early-stage investor and accelerator Plug and Play, which held its Expo Day in Vienna on 17 June.
Fraport Group was recognised for its digital transformation and pilot projects including The Digital Factory, automatic licence plate detection, passenger flow optimisation, occupancy-based parking rates and sensor-based analytics tools.
Plug and Play Austria CEO Benjamin Klose commented, “This award goes to companies that have demonstrated exceptional effort and commitment in developing digital innovations. In less than a year, Fraport Group worked with various startups in our ecosystem to launch more pilot projects with good prospects of a rollout than any of our other members.”
Fraport Group Strategy and Digitalisation Head Claus Grunow said, “By developing and deploying creative digital solutions today, we are helping to shape tomorrow’s world of travel. We’re striving to boost our group’s digital maturity and competitiveness. Due to the crisis, we’re focusing on projects that yield particularly great benefits.”
The Digital Factory is a virtual organisation unit that optimises service for both customers and employees. Digitalisation experts are also developing other airport operation solutions, with its first product to be revealed in three months’ time.
“By developing and deploying creative digital solutions today, we are helping to shape tomorrow’s world of travel” — Fraport Group Strategy and Digitalisation Head Claus Grunow
After launching The Digital Factory, Fraport Group partnered with the Plug and Play Tech Centre to gain access to its innovation platform with more than 30,000 tech startups. The Fraport team is leveraging this access to develop new solutions and overcome operational challenges within the organisation.
The airport operator is also testing a dynamic new technology that captures passenger volumes over large areas. The tool’s ‘lidar sensors’ generate precise 3D-imaging which analyse and improve passenger flows at Frankfurt Airport. Grunow added, “Among other things, this will allow us to forecast waiting times at the security checkpoints with a lead time of 10 minutes, thus improving passengers’ overall travel experience.”
Fraport Group is also considering dynamic, occupancy-based parking rates, with parking prices depending on available spaces, location and parking facilities. This means that travellers will pay less for parking during quieter periods.
CargoCity South, Frankfurt airport’s cargo warehouse, has introduced digital pre-registration that enables cargo customers drive into the warehouse and save ten-minutes from their journey. The innovation was introduced to enhance efficiency and address the increased demand for cargo and freight amid the pandemic crisis.
Beyond Frankfurt Airport, the Group is also rolling out numerous technological and digitalisation projects across its global locations and subsidiaries. Fraport USA is implementing a sensor-based solution/analytical tool that offers insight into which travel retail stores customers visit and what products they purchase. This valuable data helps brands and retailers develop highly-effective marketing campaigns.
