E-PORT. Improving efficiency of Finnish port community by intelligent systems Final report of the Mobile Port project

The management of port-related supply chains is challenging due to the complex and heterogeneous operations of the ports with several actors and processes. That is why the importance of information sharing is emphasised in the ports. However, the information exchange between different port-related actors is often cumbersome and it still involves a lot of manual work and paper. Major ports and port-related actors usually have advanced information systems in daily use but these systems are seldom interoperable with each other, which prevents economies of scale to be reached. Smaller ports and companies might not be equipped with electronic data transmission at all. This is the final report of the Mobile port (MOPO) project, which has sought ways to improve the management and control of port-related sea and inland traffic with the aid of ICT technologies. The project has studied port community systems (PCS) used worldwide, evaluated the suitability of a PCS for the Finnish port operating environment and created a pilot solution of a Finnish PCS in the port of HaminaKotka. Further, the dry port concept and its influences on the transportation system have been explored. The Mobile Port project comprised of several literature reviews, interviews of over 50 port-related logistics and/or ICT professionals, two different kinds of simulation models as well as designing and implementing of the pilot solution of the Finnish PCS. The results of these multiple studies are summarised in this report. Furthermore, recommendations for future actions and the topics for further studies are addressed in the report. The study revealed that the information sharing in a typical Finnish port-related supply chain contains several bottlenecks that cause delays in shipments and waste resources. The study showed that many of these bottlenecks could be solved by building a port community system for the Finnish port community. Almost 30 different kinds of potential services or service entities of a Finnish PCS were found out during the study. The basic requirements, structure, interfaces and operation model of the Finnish PCS were also defined in the study. On the basis of the results of the study, a pilot solution of the Finnish PCS was implemented in the port of HaminaKotka. The pilot solution includes a Portconnect portal for the Finnish port community system (available at https://www.portconnect.fi) and two pilot applications, which are a service for handling the information flows concerning the movements of railway wagons and a service for handling the information flows between Finnish ports and Finland-Russian border. The study also showed that port community systems can be used to improve the environmental aspects of logistics in two different ways: 1) PCSs can bring direct environmental benefits and 2) PCSs can be used as an environmental tool in a port community. On the basis of the study, the development of the Finnish port community system should be continued by surveying other potential applications for the Finnish PCS. It is also important to study if there is need and resources to extend the Finnish PCS to operate in several ports or even on a national level. In the long run, it could be reasonable to clarify whether there would be possibilities to connect the Finnish PCS as a part of Baltic Sea wide, European-wide or even worldwide maritime and port-related network in order to get the best benefit from the systemSatamasidonnaisten toimitusketjujen hallinta on haasteellista toimijoiden ja prosessien heterogeenisyydestä johtuen. Erityisesti informaatiovirtojen hallinnan merkitys korostuu monitahoisessa satamatoimintaympäristössä. Satamasidonnaisten toimijoiden välinen tiedonvälitys on kuitenkin valitettavan usein hankalaa pitäen sisällään paljon manuaalista työtä ja paperisia dokumentteja. Suurimmilla satamilla ja toimijoilla on usein käytössään kehittyneitä informaatiojärjestelmiä, mutta eri järjestelmät ovat harvoin yhteensopivia keskenään, mikä heikentää mittakaavaetujen saavuttamista. Pienillä satamilla ja toimijoilla ei ole välttämättä käytössä lainkaan tietojärjestelmiä, jolloin toimintoja joudutaan hoitamaan manuaalisesti perinteisiä tiedonvälitystapoja käyttäen. Tämä on Mobiilisatama (MOPO) -hankkeen loppuraportti. Mobiilisatama-hankkeessa on etsitty keinoja satamasidonnaisen meri- ja maaliikenteen hallinnan parantamiseksi älykkään liikenteen avulla tieto- ja viestintäteknologioita hyödyntäen. Tutkimuksessa on selvitty maailmanlaajuisesti käytössä olevia sataman informaatiokeskusratkaisuja (Port Community System, PCS), arvioitu PCS-järjestelmän soveltuvuutta Suomen satamatoimintaympäristöön ja kehitetty pilot-ratkaisu Suomen PCS-järjestelmästä HaminaKotkan satamaan. Hankkeessa on lisäksi tutkittu kuivasatamakonseptia ja sen vaikutuksia kuljetusjärjestelmään. Mobiilisatama-hankkeessa on tehty useita kirjallisuusselvityksiä, haastateltu yli 50 satamasidonnaista logistiikka- ja ICT-alan asiantuntijaa, luotu kaksi erilaista simulaatiomallia kuivasatamakonseptista sekä suunniteltu ja kehitetty pilot-ratkaisu Suomen PCSjärjestelmästä. Näiden tutkimusvaiheiden tulokset on koottu tässä raportissa yhteen. Lisäksi raportissa annetaan suosituksia jatkotoimenpiteille ja jatkotutkimusaiheille. Tutkimuksen mukaan satamasidonnaisessa tiedonvaihdossa on havaittavissa pullonkauloja, jotka paitsi hidastavat tavaratoimitusten käsittelyä myös kuluttavat turhaan resursseja. Tutkimustulokset osoittavat, että useimmat näistä pullonkauloista olisi mahdollista ratkaista kehittämällä Suomen satamatoimintaympäristöön PCS-järjestelmä. Tutkimuksessa löydettiin lähes 30 erilaista Suomen PCS-järjestelmään soveltuvaa palvelua tai palvelukokonaisuutta. Tutkimuksessa määriteltiin myös Suomeen soveltuvan sataman informaatiokeskuksen perusvaatimuksia, rakennetta, rajapintoja ja toimintamalleja. Tutkimuksessa saatujen tulosten pohjalta Suomen PCS-järjestelmästä tehtiin HaminaKotkan satamaan pilot-ratkaisu, joka pitää sisällään Portconnect-portaalin (https://www.portconnect.fi) sekä kaksi todellisiin tarpeisiin vastaavaa sovellusta, vaununvaihtosovelluksen ja rajaliikennepalvelun. Tutkimus osoitti myös sen, että sataman informaatiokeskus voi tuoda mukanaan suoria ympäristöhyötyjä (esim. turhien ajosuoritteiden väheneminen). Järjestelmää voidaan hyödyntää myös ympäristötyökaluna. Tutkimusprojekti osoitti, että Suomen PCS-järjestelmän kehittämistä kannattaa jatkaa myös tulevaisuudessa tutkimalla muita potentiaalisia sovelluksia järjestelmälle. Jatkossa on tärkeää selvittää, onko tarvetta ja resursseja laajentaa järjestelmää toimimaan useassa satamassa tai kansallisella tasolla. Pitkällä aikavälillä on syytä selvittää, onko Suomen PCS-järjestelmän kytkeminen osaksi Itämeren, Euroopan tai jopa maailmanlaajuista meri- ja satamasidonnaista verkostoa mahdollista ja tarkoituksenmukaista.Siirretty Doriast

Maritime Commerce in Greater Philadelphia: Assessing Industry Trends and Growth Opportunities for Delaware River Ports

Maritime Commerce in Greater Philadelphia: Assessing Industry Trends and Growth Opportunities for Delaware River Ports is an evaluation of existing port conditions along the Delaware River and market-driven opportunities for expansion. The report includes an economic impact analysis, Delaware River port descriptions, global trends, and recommended strategies for ports growth. Key findings include:Region-wide port activity generates $69 million in tax revenues for state governments across Greater Philadelphia and more than$11 million in Philadelphia Wage Tax revenues.Each on-site port job supports two jobs from port activity and employee spending. Total regional port-related employment is 12,000+ jobs.Delaware River ports import nearly 1/2 of the nation's cocoa beans, almost 1/3 of the bananas, and a 1/4 of all fruit and nuts.Growing maritime commerce in Greater Philadelphia will require collaboration among Delaware River ports to leverage existing strengths and strategically invest in regional infrastructure improvements

Dry ports: research outcomes, trends, and future implications

The concept of dry ports has gained significant interest among practitioners and researchers in the last decade. Consequently, publications on this topic have followed this development, and today there are more than 100 papers available in the Scopus and Science Direct databases, compared with only two papers in 2007. The purpose of this paper is to summarize current scientific knowledge on the phenomenon and to identify research outcomes, trends, and future research implications by conducting a systematic literature review (SLR). SLR is an explicit and reproducible method that ensures the reliability and traceability of the results. The selection of relevant papers was performed independently by each author using Rayyan QCRI software; the coding and analysis were conducted with the help of NVivo qualitative data analysis software. Findings show that the research area is largely represented by qualitative cases and optimization studies covering various aspects of dry ports. Dry port examples around the world differ based on location, functions, services, ownership, and maturity level. Although the research area is young and discrete, five main thematic areas are identified: debate on the concept, environmental impact, economic impact, performance impact, and dry ports from a network perspective

Assessing the eco-efficiency benefits of empty container repositioning strategies via dry ports

Trade imbalances and global disturbances generate mismatches in the supply and demand of empty containers (ECs) that elevate the need for empty container repositioning (ECR). This research investigated dry ports as a potential means to minimize EC movements, and thus reduce costs and emissions. We assessed the environmental and economic effects of two ECR strategies via dry ports—street turns and extended free temporary storage—considering different scenarios of collaboration between shipping lines with different levels of container substitution. A multiparadigm simulation combined agent-based and discrete-event modelling to represent flows and estimate kilometers travelled, CO2 emissions, and costs resulting from combinations of ECR strategies and scenarios. Full ownership container substitution combined with extended free temporary storage at the dry port (FTDP) most improved ECR metrics, despite implementation challenges. Our results may be instrumental in increasing shipping lines’ collaboration while reducing environmental impacts in up to 32 % of the inland ECR emissions

Reefer logistics and cool chain transport

Reefer logistics is an important part of the cool chain in which reefer containers are involved as the packaging for transporting perishable goods. Reefer logistics is challenging, as it deals with cost and time constraints as well as the product quality and sustainability requirements. In many situations, there is a trade-off between these factors (e.g., between transportation time and the quality of fresh products). Furthermore, considering the high value of reefers, the efficient logistics of is as important as the efficient cargo flows. This causes technical complications and the conflict of interests between actors, especially, between cargo owners (or shippers) and the asset owners (or transport/terminal operators). Improving the efficiency of reefer logistics calls for a thorough understanding of the trade-offs and complexities. This paper aims to help develop such an understanding using a systematic literature review and a socio-technical system analysis. The results can be used to provide managerial insights for actors involved in a cool chain to design tailored solutions for reefer

A Comparative Analysis of Dry Port Operations in Coastal and Landlocked Countries

Malaysia is a coastal country surrounded by sea, while Nepal is a landlocked country with no direct access to the ocean. This paper investigates the challenges faced by dry ports in Malaysia and Nepal and looks into issues concerning the connection of seaports and dry ports both intra-regionally, i.e. within Malaysia, and inter-regionally, i.e. outside of Nepal. The structure of dry port operating systems in these two areas is visibly different. Hence, the relationships between the major nodes in these different geographical regions need to be examined. Face-to-face and telephone interviews with dry port operators, legislative personnel, and public policy stakeholders from both countries were conducted to establish the impediments to dry port operations. Interview session transcripts have been analyzed using grounded theory. This tool is suitable for this paper due to its capacity to identify categories and concepts within the text linked together to form theoretical models. Secondary data have been used to support the primary data collected, to enhance the range and reliability of the findings. The findings indicate challenges such as inadequate connectivity capacity, inefficient border transactions, seaport-dry port integration issues, inefficient economic corridors, insufficient legislative framework for policy and regulation development, and environmental issues faced by the two countries. These challenges have a negative impact on the possibility of dry ports in Malaysia to take full advantage of their potential. Meanwhile, in Nepal, such challenges limit dry port operations since dry ports are the main gateway for the nation’s international trade. This paper recommends strategies for overcoming these challenges and improving the quality of dry port operations, focusing on the provision of sophisticated and modern logistics services to stakeholders in the different geographic landscapes

Outcome-Driven Supply Chain Perspective on Dry Ports

The hinterland leg of maritime containerized transport as a part of supply chain has been increasingly pressured by larger volumes, as well as by a need to fulfill sustainability requirements that are expressed by social opinion and formal regulations. There is a potential to relieve this pressure through integration of a dry port, as a seaport’s inland interface, in the supply chain. Therefore, this paper aims to explain how a supply chain can benefit or enhance its outcomes of cost, responsiveness, security, environmental performance, resilience, and innovation, by the integration of a dry port. The data for this case study is collected through interviews and site visits from the privately owned Skaraborg dry port, Sweden; and the study is limited to the actors of the transport system involved in the development and operations of the dry port integrated setup. The results show that the six supply chain outcomes (cost, responsiveness, security, environmental performance, resilience, and innovation) are perceived by the actors as being desirable, and can be enhanced by the integration of a dry port in the supply chains. In particular, the enhancement of the supply chain outcomes can be achieved due to intermodality and reliability of rail transportation and customization of services associated with the dry port integrated setup, and by increasing the capacity of transportation system

A Comparative Analysis of Dry Port Operations in Coastal and Landlocked Countries

Malaysia is a coastal country surrounded by sea, while Nepal is a landlocked country with no direct access to the ocean. This paper investigates the challenges faced by dry ports in Malaysia and Nepal and looks into issues concerning the connection of seaports and dry ports both intra-regionally, i.e. within Malaysia, and inter-regionally, i.e. outside of Nepal. The structure of dry port operating systems in these two areas is visibly different. Hence, the relationships between the major nodes in these different geographical regions need to be examined. Face-to-face and telephone interviews with dry port operators, legislative personnel, and public policy stakeholders from both countries were conducted to establish the impediments to dry port operations. Interview session transcripts have been analyzed using grounded theory. This tool is suitable for this paper due to its capacity to identify categories and concepts within the text linked together to form theoretical models. Secondary data have been used to support the primary data collected, to enhance the range and reliability of the findings. The findings indicate challenges such as inadequate connectivity capacity, inefficient border transactions, seaport-dry port integration issues, inefficient economic corridors, insufficient legislative framework for policy and regulation development, and environmental issues faced by the two countries. These challenges have a negative impact on the possibility of dry ports in Malaysia to take full advantage of their potential. Meanwhile, in Nepal, such challenges limit dry port operations since dry ports are the main gateway for the nation’s international trade. This paper recommends strategies for overcoming these challenges and improving the quality of dry port operations, focusing on the provision of sophisticated and modern logistics services to stakeholders in the different geographic landscapes

Ports as Drivers of Urban and Regional Growth

AbstractTraded volumes – from raw materials to final consumer goods through intermediary products – are projected to continue growing in the foreseeable future: sheer domestic EU and global competition will impose challenging requirements to providing innovative supply-chain and logistics solutions, including not only smart business models but also smart and foresighted infrastructural planning and management capacities.Public planning and funding face critical limitations, such as: (i) not duly accounting for the induced pressures on inland transportation infrastructure allowing access from/to the port to/from interesting trade links/destinations; (ii) not duly accounting for indirect costs and benefits resulting from either new infrastructural developments or re-deployment of existing infrastructures, and (iii) not duly accounting for the impacts of ports on the cities in which they are localised.Fragmented projections and impact assessments lead to sub-optimal economic performance of multi-modal terminals, the transportation network and the area they impact on increasing the risk of depleting initial investments or requiring on-going/permanent – public support, including to overcome local negative impacts.This article has two main purposes. On the one hand, it strives to identify shortcomings that hinder the achievement of expected benefits on urban and regional growth linked to port activity expansion. It is not based on a comprehensive analysis of case studies but on literature review and for that reason limiting factors mentioned in the article are not necessarily suited to specific situations. On the other hand, the article proposes a reflection on the relevant analytical and policy intervention tools having the potential to tackle and – ideally – resolve shortcomings. It advocates that a wider use of such tools would enhance the efficiency of handling freight volumes through ports and onto surface transport corridors maximizing positive spillover effects while minimizing nuisances and drawbacks for the urban and regional areas concerned.Congestion reduction in and around port areas and enhanced competitiveness are the expected results from balanced multimodal transport solutions. Many benefits are associated with efficient ports yet there tends to be a mismatch with gains spilling over to other regions and negative impacts borne locally.This area of research is expected to become all the more relevant in view of growing size of ships and therefore reduced number of ports/operators capable of handling those as well as higher induced pressure on – often already congested – inland transportation corridors.Conversely, development of the Motorways of the Sea and implementation of Short Sea Shipping foresee the increased use of medium and small ports to relieve the heavy burden on land transport, but this implies revised shipping patterns as well as overcoming fragmentation in transport infrastructure planning