From the Netherlands to Germany: How Villari validated its technology in the world's largest inland port

How a connection through the Enterprise Europe Network opened the door to one of Europe's most significant port environments.

Steel has been the backbone of critical infrastructure for decades — from ports and bridges to manufacturing facilities and more. But constant usage and varying load cycles take their toll. Over time, fatigue cracks develop, and even when not yet visible, they change the calculus for asset owners entirely.

The typical response? Increase inspection frequency or replace assets pre-emptively. Both carry a significant cost — and budgets don't always stretch far enough. When they don't, operators are left managing a difficult trade-off between safety, uptime, and financial exposure.

Villari was built to address exactly this problem. Its wireless Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) technology gives asset owners and operators real-time insight not just into existing crack growth, but into where cracks are most likely to develop — across the highest-stress points on a steel structure. With this visibility, operators can safely defer non-urgent repairs, protect uptime, and even extend asset life beyond its calculated lifetime, with confidence.

The opportunity: a network built for exactly this kind of connection

Despite a strong technology and clear market fit, Villari recognized that breaking into international markets requires more than a good product. It requires trust, local knowledge, and the right introduction.

That's where InnovationQuarter, Villari's regional development agency, investor, and EEN partner, stepped in. Through the Enterprise Europe Network's Sector Group Digital, InnovationQuarter connected Villari with ZENIT, the EEN partner for North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. On the request of InnovationQuarter ZENIT introduced Villari to Startport.  

"Connecting Villari to Startport clearly showcases the power of the Enterprise Europe Network to initiate cooperations with international impact on major sectoral challenges such as increasing uptime and improving inspection accuracy of steel-based port infrastructure." Niklaas van Hylckama Vlieg, EEN Liaison Officer Digital, InnovationQuarter

ZENIT identified Startport as a natural fit — and it was clear why.

"As part of our internationalization advisory services within the Enterprise Europe Network, we work every day to connect innovative companies with the right partners across Europe. When Villari approached us with their cutting‑edge monitoring technology, it was clear they needed a forward‑thinking environment to validate and scale their solution. Identifying Startport in Duisburg as a potential partner was a natural fit. We are delighted that this connection has led to a promising collaboration, demonstrating how the Enterprise Europe Network helps SMEs accelerate their innovation journey and expand their impact across borders." Benno Weißner, ZENIT GmbH, EEN NRW/NRW Europa

Startport, a subsidiary of the Port of Duisburg — the world's largest inland port — is a startup and innovation accelerator that works directly with Duisport to test and implement technologies that improve port operations. They had recognized a structural challenge within the port's infrastructure, and they were actively looking for solutions.

The result: real-world validation at scale

Through the EEN-facilitated introduction, Villari gained the opportunity to install and validate its technology directly within Duisport's harbor, giving it the chance to demonstrate its solution to a broad audience and access a significant new market.

The outcome exceeded expectations.

"Our cranes need to run 24/7, each downtime has a massive impact on our operation. When we detected cracks in an early stage on one crane, Villari helped us to guarantee a safe operation until we replaced the damaged parts. With their sensor system including a permanent monitoring, an easy-to-use online dashboard and a great support we were able to detect further growth of the cracks immediately. Without their system, we would have had to implement frequent manual inspection causing a lot of downtime and labour costs."  Timo Gryzan, Head of Crane Technology at Duisport

Duisport has since collaborated with Villari to promote the benefits of continuous structural monitoring to other crane owners and terminal operators across the region. For Startport, the collaboration expanded their network of innovative companies, and delivered tangible operational benefits — reduced inspection costs, improved efficiency, and increased safety.

 "At Startport, we are constantly looking for pioneering technologies that strengthen the future of the Port of Duisburg. Through the Enterprise Europe Network, we connected with Villari and immediately saw the potential of their innovative infrastructure‑monitoring solution. This collaboration enables us to test and implement a technology that supports safer, smarter and more efficient port operations. We are excited to work with Villari and to jointly drive forward the digital transformation of our port.” Johannes Franke, Managing Director, Startport 

What this means for the future

This collaboration is more than a single success story. It is a proof point for what becomes possible when the right technology meets the right partner. For the port sector more broadly, it signals that the shift from time-based inspections to condition-based, data-driven maintenance is not just possible, it is already happening.

"Collaborations like this play a key role in turning innovation into real-world impact. It helped us move faster internationally and validate our technology in one of Europe's most important port environments.”  René Kersten, CCO & COO at Villari

Ready to explore what continuous structural monitoring could mean for your operations? Let's talk.