Klaipeda FEZ Team Worked On Joint Purchasing Platform at a Hackathon 

A team made from six different Klaipeda FEZ companies, called B4B Core, participated in the port technology hackathon Portathon Baltic, which took place this weekend. The team spent two whole days developing a prototype platform, which would allow different product and service buyers to combine their orders, gaining discounts and reducing pollution.

During the event, the representatives from the Klaipeda FEZ companies pointed out that even though more than 100 different companies operate out of the zone, all of them procure products and services from suppliers separately most of the time. This translates directly into ineffective utilization of resources, time and logistics, as well as harm to the environment.

These were the reasons why the team decided to work on the prototype, called B4B Core. It is a platform, which connects both buyers and suppliers, allowing each one to mark the orders they are planning on making. When the opportunity presents itself, two or more buyers of the same product can join forces to make a joint order, all for a discount on the buyers’ side and reduced logistics costs for the supplier.

As time passes, a project like this could support not only the Klaipeda FEZ companies and their suppliers but the Klaipeda region or even the entire business ecosystem of Western Lithuania.

Eimantas Kiudulas, the CEO of the Klaipeda FEZ, congratulates the team, which came up with the initiative and promises support in its further development.

“For a while now, we’ve been looking for ways to combine the buying power of the Klaipeda FEZ companies ourselves, for example, when it comes to buying electricity. I know for certain that there are many different situations where FEZ companies buy from the same suppliers but do it separately, losing the opportunity to negotiate for better terms from a stronger position and also losing out when it comes to logistics. We will be looking for ways and solutions to turn this weekend initiative from our colleagues into a functioning system, serving not only our zone but the entire Lithuanian business landscape,” says E. Kiudulas.

The Klaipeda FEZ team consisted of members from UAB Forum Klaipeda, UAB Yazaki Wiring Technologies Lietuva, UAB AD REM LEZ, UAB Espersen Lietuva and UAB Vejo projektai, which manufactures the Dancer electric buses.

The Portathon Baltic hackathon featured 80 participants, 18 projects were presented at the end of the event. The event took place at the Klaipeda Science and Technology Park.