Highlights from GISGRO User Days 2025

This November, about thirty GISGRO users from across Finland gathered in Jyväskylä for two days of learning, collaboration, and shared inspiration. The annual User Days have become a tradition, giving our stakeholders an opportunity to explore new features, exchange experiences, and shape the future of digital port management together.

Highlights

• Hands-on training of modules easing the work for port personnel
• Real-world insights from PD Ports and Port of HaminaKotka
• Bringing port people together for learning and sharing experiences

Steering the course of digital port management

The event opened on Tuesday morning with coffee and a warm welcome by GISGRO’s CEO Kirsi Hänninen, followed by a NEMO project briefing, presenting the status of a national maritime single window update. Via a guided deep dive into the latest developments across GISGRO’s interface, the attendees had a chance to explore how the Vessel Traffic module enhances operational control from managing port calls and related services to streamlining invoicing through integrated data flows and network collaboration.

After lunch, the focus shifted to the Cargo traffic module, where participants discussed practical approaches to managing cargo data more efficiently and transparently across departments. The afternoon continued with introducing a module for work time management, and the participants got a hands-on experience of how to plan shifts, add working hours and manage possible changes in an intuitive, visual way.

The first day concluded with an inspiring presentation by Chris Stocks, Marine Director from PD Ports, who shared real-world insights on implementing a Digital Twin to optimize port operations. The presentation brought GISGRO’s use cases to life, sparking new ideas and lively discussions among the attendees. Lastly, the evening program offered everyone a chance to connect informally, strengthening the sense of community that defines the GISGRO user network.

Learning from each other

Wednesday began with breakfast and another valuable customer session, as the Maintenance Manager Saana Vuorinen from HaminaKotka Port presented her team’s practical experiences with the Maintenance module. She described how digital tools can simplify complex maintenance workflows while improving transparency and planning accuracy.

Participants then explored the Contracts module, where managing agreements, billing structures, cost indices and validity periods can now be done with less manual work on our visual user-friendly platform. The session wrapped up with an overview of KPI dashboards, showing how operational metrics can be visualized in real time to support proactive decision-making.

After two days of hands-on sessions, discussions, and shared insights, the group closed with lunch and started the journey back home. The User Days gave everyone clear takeaways and new ideas to put into practice right away. The feedback received was also very good, getting rated 4,8/5 in the feedback questionnaire after the event.

“Overall, the event was extremely well organised with interesting topics. I’m looking forward to hearing even more experiences from ports in the next user days!”

Looking forward to meeting even more GISGRO users next year

At GISGRO, we believe that smart technology is for every port. Events like the User Days remind us that digital transformation isn’t just about tools, but about people: those who lead, maintain, and manage ports every day with expertise and dedication. Together, we continue to build smarter, safer, and more sustainable port operations.

Want to join next year? We are already planning the User Days 2026 – contact our sales crew for more information!