How Smart Ports Will Change Global Shipping

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Published May 27, 2025

Global trade relies heavily on maritime transport. Approximately 80 percent of goods (by volume) are transported by sea each year.^[1] In 2022, 866 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) shipping containers moved through ports around the world.^[2] That number went up by about four million from the previous year.

Ports need a way to manage these growing shipping demands and are turning to automation as the solution. Technology like automated cranes and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered logistics are options that can improve port efficiency, reduce congestion, and even lower emissions. Traditional cargo handling relies on human labor and fossil-fuel-powered equipment that can be unpredictable, inefficient, and increase carbon footprints. Now, by using autonomous stacking cranes and smarter coordination systems, ports are streamlining their operations and increasing throughput. In this week’s New Tech Tuesdays, we explore some of the technology setting the stage for a new era of global shipping.

Today’s ports are under pressure to move goods faster and reduce costs, all while trade volumes continue to increase. To help meet these goals, several automated technologies are being introduced at shipping ports worldwide.

Automated cranes are just one part of the initial transformations happening in some ports. These high-tech robotic systems make the entire container movement process simpler and quicker while reducing human errors. By integrating AI, sensors, and electrification technology, these robotic systems bring new capabilities to cranes.

For example, automated stacking cranes (ASCs) use advanced sensors and AI to autonomously stack, sort, and recover containers, reducing congestion in ports and increasing the number of containers that can be moved each day.^[3] Electric rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs) are fully electric and replace diesel-powered machines, so their emission-cutting capabilities make them appealing for cargo handling.^[4]

In addition to automated cranes, AI-powered predictive maintenance allows machine learning (ML) models to analyze crane performance data in real time to detect wear and anticipate failures.

Incorporating this automation into the process sets the stage for smarter ports that use AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), and 5G to optimize the logistics process.

Part of this smart port evolution includes:

• Autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs), which are like self-driving trucks and robotic carriers that move containers between ships and storage facilities.
• AI-optimized traffic flow and scheduling systems that predict cargo movement and improve the loading and unloading operations.
• Digital twins that simulate virtual models of cargo flow and crane movements in real time, which assists in predictive logistics planning.

There are several operational smart ports around the world. In Shanghai, the Yangshan Port is fully automated, using self-driving trucks and AI-controlled cranes (Figure 1).^[5] In Singapore, the Tuas Port uses AI-powered logistics and autonomous vessel docking systems.[6] And in London, the Gateway Port features robotic cranes and real-time digital coordination of cargo.^[7]

Figure 1: The Yangshan Port is the world’s largest automated container terminal. (Source: yu/stock.adobe.com)

As automation becomes standard in major ports, the next steps will include full integration across the supply chain. We see this happening in several ports.

The Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands is developing a digital twin of its operations with help from IBM and Cisco,^[8] while Germany’s Port of Hamburg is piloting autonomous trucks and robotic cranes, coordinating with companies like HHLA and Siemens (Figure 2).^[9] TradeLens, developed by IBM and Maersk and now discontinued, demonstrated how blockchain-based tracking systems could reduce paperwork and improve shipment visibility.^[10]

Figure 2: The Port of Hamburg is modernizing maritime logistics. (Source: Jonas Weinitschke/stock.adobe.com)

As ports adopt technologies like AI, digital twins, autonomous cargo systems, and blockchain, they're poised to improve efficiency and gain real-time data so they can stay resilient when unexpected circumstances arise.

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This new take on automated port operations continues to grow and improve, meaning global trade is heading toward a safer, smarter, and more sustainable future. With AI, electrification, and real-time data, ports can move cargo faster, increase supply chain visibility, and even cut down on emissions.

Sources

[1]https://www.csis.org/analysis/state-maritime-supply-chain-threats
[2]https://www.statista.com/statistics/913398/container-throughput-worldwide/
[3]https://www.kuenz.com/cranes/asc-cranes/
[4]https://restservice.epri.com/publicdownload/000000000001020646/0/Product
[5]https://e.huawei.com/en/case-studies/global/2018/201807050920
[6]https://www.mpa.gov.sg/maritime-singapore/port-of-the-future
[7]https://www.worldcargonews.com/news/2024/06/dp-world-london-gateway-welcomes-two-more-quay-cranes/
[8]https://www.zdnet.com/article/port-of-rotterdam-plots-iot-rollout-efficiency-push-with-ibm-cisco-axians/
[9]https://hhla.de/en/investors/releases/financial-disclosures/detail-view/cta-receives-hamburgs-first-remote-controlled-container-gantry-cranes
[10]https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/Maersk-IBM-shut-down-TradeLens/637580