How Does Advanced Technology Impact Ports and Terminals?
Ports & Terminals are facilities that connect land and water for ocean freight shipping and the movement of passengers across borders via the ocean. They have played an important role in the economic & cultural development of a country. These facilities are huge and consist of several terminals for the influx and outflux of goods and passengers. Managing such large numbers of passengers and freight requires infrastructure and facilities as port functions include:
Berthing and anchoring services
Cargo movement services or freight management
Road and rail connectivity for multimodal transportation
Point of customs & immigration clearances
Storage and warehousing facilities
Billing and Invoicing facilities
All these functions are efficiently managed by software systems based on AI, Machine Learning, IoT, and Big data for ports & terminals.
What are the types of seaports?
Classification of ports is based on the entity being transported. If it is for goods it is called a cargo port. If it is for passengers it is called a cruise port. In both cases, heavy use of technology is required for efficient functioning.
Cargo ports are of two types, based on the type of cargo they can handle.
Bulk cargo ports for loose goods like liquids, grains, etc.
Containerized cargo ports for unitized cargo transported in pallets, drums, etc
Terminal operating systems are integrated based on the type of cargo being handled.
This is because different types of terminals are present on a port for appropriate segregation and management.
Bulk cargo ports have separate terminals for
dry cargo and
liquid cargo.
Containerized cargo ports have
Break-bulk (pallets, drums, boxes, pallets),
neo-bulk (paper, steel, vehicles), and
containerized terminals (for containers)
These terminals may be handled by different shipping companies or terminal operators.
Impact of Advanced Technology on Ports & Terminals
Although technological advancements have been implemented across several ports in the world, let us take a look at the list of automated ports in the world so far.
Port of Rotterdam
Port of Singapore
Port of Shanghai
Port of Valencia
Port of Hamburg
Port of Barcelona
Port of Los Angeles
Port of Antwerp
Port Le Havre HAROPA
Copenhagen Malmo Port (CMP)
As with any other revolutionizing action in an industry, the shipping industry to is facing it. Some downsides of the latest developments:
Implementing expenses- Developing an infrastructure for on-site systems or getting a cloud-based system, are added expenses and need some time until they reflect the benefits.
Data security issues- With everything integrated on a single platform there is a higher risk to all the data, leading to having robust cyber security systems in place.
Training expenses- Integrating new technologies, requires trained personnel. Training and upgradation of human resource skills require additional investments and considerable time for getting a hang of the new systems.
Job losses- Micro-level task management has resulted in job losses in countries with automated ports.
Addressing these challenges can open a gateway for future-ready ports & terminals across the globe. Private-public partnerships, better cyber security systems, asking for training assistance from system providers, and upskilling to learn new technologies to prevent severe job losses are a few possible ways to upturn these downsides.
