Ports and shipping: What to expect in 2020

By Beth Maundrill

As the globe enters a new decade the Port Technology International (PTI) team explores the future and what can be expected for the next decade of ports and shipping. 
Edition 92 of the E-Journal takes a deeper dive into the view to 2020 but this is a summary of what some of those key trends will be. 
Digitization will continue to be a key driver for ports going forward. With the past decade seeing a lot of new technologies enter the market these will likely be rapidly adopted and established going forward. 
Speaking during Smart Digital Ports of the Future 2019, Trelleborg said some of the key technology trends it sees include any technologies that help bigger ships come into ports. 
Increased ship sizes will drive the industry to take a closer look at how to best manage these vessels in order the get the most efficient results. Indeed, 2019 saw some of the largest container vessels make their way around global trade routes. 
Trelleborg also highlights connectivity solutions, this involves the collection and distribution of data from equipment to others. Big Data will also continue to be a predominant trend as industry looks carefully at how to analyze and make use of the millions of data points that are now being gathered. 
Port-centric logistics will also be a key drive going into the next decade as there is a growing demand for distribution facilities to be located at ports. 
With the rise of one-day-delivery and heightened consumer demands it is imperative that ports begin to ad value to the entire supply chain beyond the traditional port boarders. 
Dr Noel Hacegaba, Deputy Executive Director/COO, Port of Long Beach, noted in a PTI technical paper that “Ports must ensure that their investments are enhancing the overall value proposition of the supply chains they support.” 
This is true of both the implementation of port centric logistics and technological developments including big data and atomization.
 Finally, the industry appears to be taking environmental issues and sustainability as seriously as it ever has with the introduction of new biofuels, sustainable ports and carbon capture. 
These numerous efforts have been driven by the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) ambitions to reduce carbon emissions by 50% in 2050. There will therefore be a continued drive to develop and implement technologies that are more sustainable and work within the industry. 
The first true test of this will be the implementation of IMO 2020 as of 1 January 2020 the global upper limit on the sulphur content of ships’ fuel oil will be reduced to 0.50%.


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