The port of Gothenburg under the influence of the fourth stage of the industrial revolution: Implementing a wide portfolio of digital tools to optimize the conduct of operations

Abstract

Taking advantage of the benefits associated with the fourth stage of the industrial revolution--quite often termed as the “era of digitalization” in the wider literature--has become a main priority for ports globally, as part of their further development. The implications of smart technologies on the sustainable development of the ports have not been adequately addressed by the existing literature and it is exactly this gap that this study aims to fulfil. This paper aims to provide an overview of the innovative technologies adopted by a small number of smart ports around the world and highlight their link to sustainable development by employing an exploratory review of various sources. The design features of the smart ports identified by the existing literature have formed the basis for the development of a conceptual framework used in this paper for the analysis of the case of the Port of Gothenburg--the largest Scandinavian port, both in terms of number of visits and volume of cargo handled. The specific port is currently expanding its digital transformation by launching a platform during the second half of 2021 that will link digitally and coordinate the operations of all relevant stakeholders--shipping companies, freight forwarders, rail operators--at the port area. From the analysis, it becomes clear that the implementation of a wide portfolio of digital initiatives by the port under discussion has already resulted in the optimization of its operations and is strongly interrelated to its sustainable development. Important issues to be addressed in the near future that were identified by this research effort include the necessary cultural adaptation and training activities to ensure the right exploitation of these tools by the whole pool of the workforce.