Speaking exclusively to Port Strategy at TOC Europe 2018, Marco Fehmer said that “the challenge is no longer having access to this technology; it is using the right technology to give you a return on investment”.
“You should ask which are the solutions that better fit with your actual needs and not just go for automation or digitalisation if you don’t need it,” Mr Fehmer explained.
Because each terminal has “a different case” and a different situation concerning different concepts, each solution’s value alters depending on the terminal, the chief executive argued.
“Ports need to think a bit more smartly about how they make these choices for digitalisation and automation,” he said.
A challenge for the ports and terminals industry is to make the best use of the information it has today. “Sharing information nowadays should no longer be an issue,” he said.” I think ports are ready [to be] part of this ‘big network’, let’s say.”
Mr Fehmer also told PS that he predicts increasing consolidation between different ports and terminals in the short term, with this consolidation being driven by traffic.
“It’s a business in itself to find which are the best ports, where to enter and where to access the regional market,” he noted.