AI & Automation

Natural disasters, such as coastal hurricanes and rainfall flooding, can create major impacts on marine transportation. Ports and port cities will also be increasingly threatened by tsunami and climate-related sea level rise (SLR) by year 2100.

The much trumpeted container weighing regulation which exercised much of the freight industry last year is hoped to be the mere overture to a concerted effort to bring about significant behavioural change. This paper assesses the degree of compliance with the VGM regulation that has been achieved but also looks forward to what needs to be done to further ensure safety and sustainability in the global supply chain.

The ports and borders sector looks to be growing and needs new AI technology to support it

Why is realizing the full potential of automated terminals for operational performance taking so long? And, for those who succeed in automation, why is it so complex and difficult?

Shipping companies using the sea route must apply to Russia’s Northern Sea Route Administration to enter or pass through the sea route area

This paper examines how the integration of three bulk decision-making problems are of critical importance to ensure efficient operation and use of port terminal facilities

The current practice at container terminals is to manually remove twistlocks from containers – a time consuming activity. This process can be automated, which saves time, reduces risk at the terminal and contributes to a more efficient operation.

It is time to take this a step further with the integration of public safety agencies

In order to ensure that processes and interconnections don‘t allow malware to shut down operations or allow manipulation of data for illegal purposes, a solution to identify threats along the supply chain is urgently needed

The Internet of Things (IoT) is already transforming business and industry all over the world. By the year 2020, approximately 80 billion connected devices will be operating within the IoT

Dyanmar has released a summary of its latest container insight with PTI

For the first time since 2000 the order-book has shrunk below 8% of the total dry bulk fleet

This technical paper touches upon a few of the intricacies and suggest directions for further exploration to resolve the issues of busy container yards

If seafarers have been managing operational and business risks since the Phoenicians traded their purple dye, the increasing use of cyber technology promises vast unchartered waters

This paper proposes a vision-based monitoring system designed and integrated to support vessel berthing work and to reduce maritime accidents from human errors

Employing technologies to improve the efficiency and security of gate operations has become the predominant strategy for terminal operators dealing with heavy traffic passing through their gates

Human Factors training is a special type of safety training that focuses on improving an organisation’s ability to tackle the human, organisational and socio-technical risks that it faces on an everyday basis. HF training has been mandated in the aviation sector for almost 20 years.

The industry is currently facing a fundamental transformation which will profoundly change the existing business models – and that this transformation will happen irrespective of the practical details, such as demand growth and freight rate developments.

Cargo travels through ports increasingly with the aid of automation. As automation evolves and becomes more sophisticated, terminal operators realize efficiencies that help increase throughput, reduce turnaround time and increase revenue generation. Many are unsure of what level of automation to use, if any.

After many successful decades of digitalization and automation in contemporary ports, the next big step is to look at innovative ways for extracting more value from new and existing data sources to achieve competitive advantages

IMO Member States will in June 2017 begin to develop a strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from the international shipping sector, in line with the ambitious spirit of the Paris Agreement on climate change

Maintenance costs and time are getting more and more vital in automated terminals, so beside the cost, the human risk is increased when people need to enter an automated terminal to tend to cranes. Therefore, we have a long-term commitment to long lasting components and several developments have been made in the area of maintenance with regard to critical parts such as ropes and wheels.

When should you power up your TOS?

The most dramatic evolution in recent years is the automation of terminals. This started in the ports and will now be implemented step-by-step in other areas. For example, in the intermodal yards. Part of the technology which has been developed for the ports can be also used in intermodal facilities, new solutions for challenges need to be developed and then maybe it can also be used again in the ports to further increase efficiency and safety in the terminals.

Shipping lines are also increasingly operating in global alliances, giving them scope to optimize their services and increase their buying power. For container terminals this has resulted in noticeable reductions in handling rates, larger operational peaks and more idle time in waterside operations.

Biomass is one of the fastest growing bulk shipping sectors, fuelled mainly by wood pellets coming in to Europe to replace some of the coal used by existing power stations. Obviously as a fuel it is combustible; the same can be said for coal, but animal feed, grain, sugar and other organic material can behave in the same way.

Bulk terminal operations need to be prepared to adjust to fluctuating market trends and demands for certain commodities

The search for contraband, threats, and fraud in cargo containers is akin to searching for needles in an ever growing field of many haystacks

It is essential to create proactive measures to react to sudden changes in container flow

Automation and electrification are the twin goals of advanced container terminals worldwide. They are driven by the desire for reduced costs and reduced environmental impacts of operations, as well as financial pressure for higher utilization of expensive capital assets gained by moving toward 24/7 operation