Schiphol Cargo, Cargonaut, KLM Cargo and Air Cargo Netherlands are among the signatories to a covenant by a broad spectrum of Dutch business and government, to create a revolutionary new approach to information exchange between parties in the logistics chain.

The covenant was signed in the presence of Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Netherlands Minister of Infrastructure and Environment.

The 'Neutral Logistics Information Platform' (NLIP) is being developed to give the Dutch logistics sector a competitive advantage in Europe. NLIP will enable all supply chain partners to input information once, and then share it throughout the entire chain. Originators of information will control who has access to it, and when.

The aim of NLIP is to assist shippers, logistics providers, ports and government departments to optimise supply chains, reduce administration and work more efficiently.

Says Schiphol Cargo Senior VP Enno Osinga: 'We are very pleased to be a partner in this exciting and ground-breaking initiative. We strongly support any move to drive inefficiencies from the supply chain, and the NLIP's goals exactly match our own.

'In the short term, NLIP will further strengthen Schiphol's position as an integral element of the Netherlands' multi-modal hub proposition. Longer-term, we hope our logistics model will set an example globally, and contribute to a healthier future for the entire industry.'

As an integral part of the airport's mainport infrastructure, Cargonaut is recognised as a key pillar to the NLIP. Similarly Portbase, Cargonaut's counterpart in the port communities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, is acknowledged as having similar status in the ocean freight sector.

There are sixteen signatories to the covenant: Air Cargo Netherlands, Schiphol Cargo, Cargonaut, Dutch Customs, EVO (Dutch Shippers' Council), Fenex (Forwarders Association), the Port of Amsterdam, the Port of Rotterdam, KLM Cargo, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Portbase, Rijkswaterstaat, Strategic Platform Logistics, TLN (Transport & Logistics, the Netherlands), VRC (Port Shipping Agents) and VRTO (Port of Rotterdam Terminal Operators).

The NLIP combines the knowledge and experience of the existing and successful information platforms of Schiphol (Cargonaut), the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam (Portbase) and the Government (Digipoort). In due course, NLIP will be expanded to include additional platforms.