Port Call Synchronization

Abstract

The shipping industry is at the time of writing undergoing a process of modernisation and digitalisation. Port Collaborative Decision Making (PortCDM) is part of Sea Traffic Management (STM), a research project aiming to show how modern maritime information sharing can be implemented and how it can benefit actors in the shipping industry. Port Call Synchronization has been developed as a proof-of-concept service for automating the generation of recommended times of arrival for vessels arriving at ports, based on the greater access to information that PortCDM enables. This information makes it possible to implement digital representations of port actors, and simulate the process by which they arrive at consensuses regarding what time it is suitable for a vessel to enter a port. A rudimentary system for optimizing berth schedules has also been developed, based on the automated system.