Digital will be central in the transformation of shipping and the somewhat fast-tracked advancement that was made in 2020 will now continue to expand at an exponential rate in the next decade.
Digital will be central in the transformation of shipping and the somewhat fast-tracked advancement that was made in 2020 will now continue to expand at an exponential rate over the next decade.
The fourth industrial revolution offers a plethora of opportunities for the container supply chain, and those not willing to embrace this new era risk their long-term futures. 5G, big data, AI, and autonomy technology all will play critical roles in the future shaping of the sector
There are 2 schools of thought when we assess how the pandemic affected the ongoing digitalisation journey for the shipping sector.
The first exposed its digital shortcomings, and the industry’s cautious and slow integration that stagnated improvements to port and terminal operations. 2020 highlighted the need for a full and immersive digitalisation initiative to be implemented as soon as possible.
The other side of the argument would contend that even though there were high percentages of remote working during the height of the pandemic, terminals continued to operate, and cargo was not brought to a shuddering halt. Obviously, there are certain digital issues that came to light last year and these will need to be ironed out, but this is not a problem simply isolated to the maritime industry and all workers across all sectors would have learnt lessons in 2020 about their working practices. What is most important is that the industry continued to function and this surely is an indication that the foundations of a digitised working process is there, and now the journey is simply to expand and improve.
All the above isn’t about one huge technological breakthrough, or discovering that ‘silver bullet’ that will innovate and improve port operations, but with a plethora of technologies out there such as ‘Big Data’, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, automation and other technologies, that both improve the port’s performance and its competitiveness.
But moving away from the technology available for a moment, and as highlighted by Andre Simha from MSC during a TOC Webinar in May 2020, it is not simply just about the technology and finding that breakthrough or initiative that will improve and overhaul operations; it is about change management and changing the mindset of the industry and acceptance of this digital revolution. 2020 would have done that for many sceptics and a new and improved approach will be instigated this year.
