Rotterdam will become the smartest port in the world
The Port of Rotterdam Authority and IBM announced their collaboration on a multi-year digitisation initiative to transform the port’s operational environment using Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in the cloud to benefit the port and those who use it.
The initiative will also prepare the Port of Rotterdam’s entire 42-kilometre site to host connected ships in the future. It begins with the development of a centralised dashboard application that will collect and process real-time water (hydro), weather (meteo) sensor data and communications data, analysed through the IBM IoT platform. This will enable a new wave of safer and more efficient traffic management at the port.
“Here in Rotterdam, we are taking action to become the smartest port in the world,” says Paul Smits, chief financial officer of the Port of Rotterdam Authority. “Speed and efficiency is essential to our business, and requires us to use all of the data available to us. Thanks to real-time information about infrastructure, water, air, etc., we can enormously improve the service we provide to everyone who uses the port, and prepare to embrace the connected, autonomous shipping of the future.”
As the largest port in Europe, the Port of Rotterdam handles over 461 million tonnes of cargo and more than 140,000 vessels annually. Previously the port relied on traditional radio and radar communication between captains, pilots, terminal operators, tugboats and more to make key decision on port operations.
The Port of Rotterdam’s digital transformation project is enabled by IBM’s cloud-based IoT technologies and will see the Port of Rotterdam and IBM are working together long-term to uncover other innovative applications of IoT and artificial intelligence. Cisco and Axians are also involved in the project.