ASTANA – Slovenia’s Port of Koper sees opportunities to strengthen transport links with Kazakhstan through the Middle Corridor and share its digital port-management expertise to improve cargo handling and logistics efficiency, said Nevenka Kržan, president of the port’s management board, in an interview with The Astana Times.
The potential cooperation comes as Kazakhstan seeks to strengthen its position along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, which connects Asia and Europe through Central Asia, the South Caucasus and Türkiye. Kržan said Luka Koper had developed its own information technology systems in cooperation with an IT company, supporting billing, predictive analytics, storage planning and warehouse management.
These systems could offer useful experience for Kazakhstan’s ports as they work to improve operational efficiency and handle growing cargo volumes. “We are always ready and willing to assist. We developed our own IT systems, which have grown with us over the years, and they could be useful for your ports as well,” she said.
Aiman Nakispekova and Nevenka Kržan. Photo credit: Dariga Basybayeva/The Astana Times The port’s digital systems allow operators to track cargo in real time and manage storage more efficiently. Kržan said the port can locate individual vehicles among tens of thousands stored on its premises.
“We can have almost 45,000 cars in the port at one time, and we know where each car is. Our systems are efficient, predictive and operate in real time,” she said. Kržan described her visit to Kazakhstan as an initial step toward identifying opportunities for closer cooperation.
She noted that Luka Koper would like to establish direct connections with Kazakh railway operators, freight forwarders, logistics companies and agents. “We have a very active port community. We know that without freight forwarders, agents and logistics companies, we cannot do anything on our own,” she said, emphasizing the importance of coordination across the logistics chain.
She added that cooperation could extend beyond commercial arrangements to exchanging best practices and improving coordination among ports, railways and customs authorities. The port has also introduced a single point of contact to coordinate customs officers and other inspection services, including food inspections, with the aim of reducing paperwork and streamlining procedures.
These practices could be relevant to Kazakhstan as it works to address logistical bottlenecks and improve the movement of cargo across different transport systems.