Current and Future Challenges Facing the Marine Port Industry

• Some challenges facing marine terminals include infrastructure traffic and congestion (which may limit the flow of goods in and out of a port), balancing labor and technology (which results in challenges such as training and job impacts), sustainability issues, and container management (efficiently storing containers for re-use and managing the cost of moving containers).

• Reducing carbon emissions is considered a top challenge for the port automation industry.
•  Ensuring safety in remote-controlled automation systems, implementing block chain technology, and reducing the risk of cyber attacks are additional issues that will need to be managed by the marine port industry.
• Sustainability and workplace safety issues will continue to be industry challenges in the future.

Key Technologies in the Marine Port Industry

•  Technology is key to improving port efficiency, improving speed, and reducing cost.
• According to Port Technology International (PTI), the top 5 emerging port technologies include drones (to improve supply chain speed and efficiency), 5G networks (to optimize the transfer of information and enable AI), Internet of Things (to automate daily operations and improve efficiency), Internet of Vehicles (to improve port traffic and safety), and Augmented Reality (providing visual support through real-time video imagery).
• The Port of Los Angeles, a leader in implementing port automation, was the first port in the world to adopt automated straddle carriers to work in concert with automated stacking cranes (ASCs). The driver-less carriers move containers from ships to the ASCs, which automatically move the containers to a sorting and stacking area. The adoption of these technologies results in greater productivity and efficiency, reduced human error and sustainability benefits.

Workforce Demographic Profile and Recruitment

• There is increasing demand for skilled workers at marine ports, due to factors including technology and increased traffic.
•  In-demand occupations include logistics technicians, marine engineers, and CAD/Drafting and Design Engineers.
• Nearly 20% of occupations may require a college degree, though the majority of potential occupations' sill require a high school degree with industry certifications.
•  Key findings from a focus group on maritime port workforce challenges noted found that 74% of participants felt that workforce recruiting was only 'somewhat' effective, or 'not effective'.
• In this same study, only 16% said they focused on recruiting college-age workers, while 26% only recruit adults via job fairs.
• A Washington state maritime sector report identified workforce aging as a key industry challenge, with the average age of a maritime sector employee in 54 years old as of 2013, and limited interest among potential younger employees to fill open roles.

Political and Economic Factors Impacting Marine Terminals

•  Trade tensions between the US and China impacted the viability of the maritime industry, which includes marine terminals. Port traffic increased by 4.7% in 2018, compared to 6.7% in 2017.
•  Natural disasters and climate-related factors have also been increasing, impacting the industry. Related, regulatory impacts as a result of climate-related concerns have also impacted the industry.

Summary Of Our Early Findings Relevant To The Goals