Smart Ports Need to Communicate, Connect and Expand Visibility, Say Panelists

On Monday afternoon, moderator Mitch MacDonald, founder and board director of AGiLE Business Media, led a panel on smart ports, with panelists including Rob Tonissen, Director of Supply, Port of Rotterdam; Casey Hehr, Managing Director of Commercial Services, Port of Long Beach; and Stephen A. Edwards, CEO and Executive Director, Virginia Port Authority. Here are some key takeaways the panelists shared:

• Increasingly, ports need digitization to keep the industry moving as well as to improve efficiency.
• Technology that would benefit ports includes AI and machine learning working in concert; predictive analytics, which would increase port resilience and improve the customer experience; and barge technology.
• The need for a tech savvy workforce is being met through the creation of training programs and training facilities, partnerships with local colleges, and maintaining a well of workers.
• To ensure good data is being used in your smart port, emulate your current data when changing operations, share data with customers to promote visibility, and expand visibility to partnering companies so others can connect.
• Sustainability goals should be achieved through innovative programs and finding partners who can aid in measuring progress.
• To combat issues in the Panama and Suez Canals, shippers should have a business recovery plan, keep communication lines open, and be ready to adapt.
• During the pandemic, important lessons were learned, and the outcome was that there needs to be ample communication at every level, and we need to have an understanding of how interconnected transportation hubs are.