Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has received an investment of approximately €2 million (US$2.18 million) for its information platform Cargonaut, in an attempt to strengthen the airport’s competitive position.

“The world around us is changing at high speed, and the strong and innovative position of Schiphol can no longer be taken for granted,” said Nanne Onland, CEO of Cargonaut. “Strong cooperation, well-managed processes and maximum support from state-of-the-art IT resources are the keys to increase the competitiveness of Schiphol, and therefore of all stakeholders, including the government.”

Half of the investment will be in the form of a grant from entrepreneurs, research institutes and government bodies in the Dutch logistics sector. The remainder will be funded by Cargonaut, Dutch Customs, the Dutch government digital service Logius, Schiphol Group and Dutch air freight association Air Cargo Netherlands.

“Cargonaut is the information platform of and for the Dutch air freight industry, and we therefore believe this is a worthwhile investment,” said Ben Radstaak, managing director of Air Cargo Netherlands. “The most important condition that we have stated is that it should be an open-community platform, through which supply chain parties and government can more easily share information to improve and accelerate processes. This will strengthen the competitiveness of Dutch air freight. Therefore, our contribution is in the interests of all members of ACN.”

All Cargonaut users will be able to provide input regarding the upgrade, according to the company.

Cargonaut was launched in 1986 and has evolved from a messaging system into one which helps speed up the import and export process at Schiphol.