Automation and Optimisation

The container terminal industry has long been a sector that pushes for ever-greater efficiency gains. But now, it is undergoing a significant shift with the emergence of intelligent digital twins. This revolutionary system is fuelled by the growing importance of AI agents, machine learning, and IoT devices.

These are really AIxciting times. We are seeing things change right in front of our eyes. By the end of last year, AI transitioned from being just a scientific field to a powerful tool for advancing science, as reflected by Nobel Prizes awarded for breakthroughs in deep learning and protein design. The key question thus becomes: How can we use these advances to benefit our industry, stakeholders, customers, employees, and society?

The road towards zero emissions is fraught with a wide range of challenges and unanswered questions. Equipment OEMs, solution providers, and other stakeholders are making efforts to address these challenges by offering their services and contributions. However, when all these come to the terminal’s table for final decision-making, this becomes a complex puzzle and a complicated task for terminals to plan their roadmap to achieve the zero-emission goals.

Whether you’ve been in rail operations for five or 25 years, you know this to be true: a terminal is defined by its efficiency. Another reality rail operators are all too familiar with? Outdated processes—combined with the inherent risk of manual error—create big problems within a rail terminal.

As container terminals worldwide continue to face labour shortages, increasing pressure to improve efficiency, and the need to enhance safety, automation has emerged as a powerful solution. There are currently many terminals not starting from scratch but instead focusing on automating existing operations. The challenge, however, is not just adopting new technology, but effectively integrating it into an existing, often complex, operation.

Container terminals handle over 800 million TEUs annually, yet inefficiencies in key operational areas result in billions of dollars in lost productivity. At the core of these challenges lies the struggle to balance three critical objectives: container throughput (which drives revenue), equipment utilisation (which impacts profitability), and turnaround time (which influences asset turnover).

Automation is a game-changer, driving efficiency, slashing costs, and redefining possibilities. While greenfield terminals can rise from the ground up with cutting-edge tech baked in, brownfield terminals—with weathered workhorses already in operation—face a steeper climb.

Control rooms in container terminals have traditionally served as the nerve centre for planning, execution, and logistics coordination. As automation transforms terminal operations, the role of control room staff is also evolving.

At first glance, the aviation and container terminal industries might seem like two separate worlds—one soaring through the skies, the other anchored at bustling ports. Airports move people at high speeds across continents, while terminals guide containers through intricate supply chains. But when you zoom out, both industries share the same fundamental challenge: managing transport hubs where precision, efficiency, and adaptability determine success.

Trade and shipping form the backbone of world economy, with approximately over 80 per cent of international trade transported by sea. This unparalleled reliance on maritime logistics underscores the critical role ports play in facilitating commerce, connecting markets, and supporting economic growth.

At the IAPH World Ports Conference in Hamburg, Syed Rakin Rahman, Staff Reporter at Port Technology International, had the privilege of speaking with Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles—the busiest seaport in the Western Hemisphere. The discussion centred on the transformative role of data in shaping the port’s operations and its broader vision for the future.