Sustainable port development:towards the Physical Internet concept

European ports are currently facing the challenge of adapting to the current trends in global trade and efficiently handling the increasing volumes placed on them. The aim of this paper is to present an innovative framework supported by disruptive technologies for cargo ports to handle upcoming and future capacity, traffic, efficiency and environmental challenges. The innovations to be implemented within the proposed framework will contribute to the Port of the Future objectives regarding reduction of port’s total environmental footprint associated with intermodal connections; the improvement of operational efficiency, and increase of data sharing and information visibility; and the promotion on the innovation in the port-urban context. The solutions are expected to contribute to the digitization and smart objects creation, the movement of containers and their interconnectivity as well as to multimodality. Overall, the proposed framework aims to develop models and tools which can support ports to improve their efficiency and gradually participate in a Physical Internet networ