PIONEERS at Smart Digital Ports of the Future Conference 2023

Smart Digital Ports Of The Future Conference returned for its 7th year to Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Organised by Port Technology International, the Conference took place from 16th to 17th May 2023.

The event highlighted the latest pioneering smart technologies shaping the port industry, with keynote presentations and panel discussions focusing on the opportunities and challenges of smart tech, including digital twin, AI, IoT and autonomous solutions.

Carles Rua, from Port de Barcelona, was one of the speakers at the session “IoT Technology: The Key to Unlocking Full Visibility of Port Operations” on Wednesday, May 17. The speakers discussed the benefits of a well-implemented IoT system while addressing challenges such as the availability of a reliable high-speed network, information security concerns and the complex task of converting large quantities of sensor data into efficiency-yielding operational decisions.

The audience learned more about the PIONEERS project, with a particular focus on the Maritime 5G for intelligent vessel location demonstration under the Digital Transformation Pillar. This demonstration is based on the development of an intelligent vessel location system, which uses AI algorithms capable of accurately estimating valuable information (location, course, speed) for vessel entry and mooring operations in the port. The aim is to validate how the combination of current innovative technologies can help build a new positioning system that is more accurate than the ones in the port, such as the AIS, RADAR, and that is also scalable in the medium term and capable of providing additional information wirelessly during manoeuvres.