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PortEconomics member Mary Brooks joins Order of Canada ranks
Mary Brooks honoured for “being an internationally renowned scholar in the field of marine transportation, performance and supply chain management”. On 29 December 2021, the Governor-General of Canada announced that PortEconomics member Dr Mary Brooks was made a Member of the Order of Canada. The Honour recognizes the outstanding merit or distinguished service of Canadians who make a major difference to Canada through lifelong contributions in every field of endeavour. Mary Brooks is no stranger to major honours. In 2018...
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Automation in container port systems and management
Terminal automation is a full or partial substitution of terminal operations through automated equipment and processes. Depending on how automation is defined, it is already present in many terminals, at least in its simplest form using information technologies (ITs) to manage terminal assets and supplement human activity. Automation processes often result in two major types of automated terminals. A fully automated terminal uses a computer–IT-led system to handle a container from dockside to the pickup area through remotely...
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The Analyst: emerging global market for storing and utilising carbon
A stream of recent announcements suggests that a global market for storing and utilising carbon is emerging, comments Peter de Langen. Carbon can be captured from industrial processes like producing oil refi neries, ethanol production or turning gas or coal into chemicals (such capture is relatively cheap) and from power plants (for instance that use coal or biomass). In addition, carbon can be captured directly from the air, and subsequently stored – though this is much more costly. Institutions like the International Energy Agency...
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Improving a congested maritime supply chain with time slot management for port calls
by Mikael Lind, Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) and Chalmers University of Technology, Wolfgang Lehmacher, Anchor Group, Jan Hoffmann, UNCTAD, Lars Jensen, Vespucci Maritime, Theo Notteboom, Ghent University and Antwerp Maritime Academy, Torbjörn Rydbergh, Marine Benchmark, Peter Sand, BIMCO, Sandra Haraldson, RISE, Rachael White, Next Level Information & Cool Logistics, Hanane Becha, UN/CEFACT, Patrik Berglund, Xeneta Abstract Disruption and congestion are occurring across the global maritime...
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Book Review: Towards a Better Ports Industry
Two reviews of Towards a Better Ports Industry, by PortEconomics co-director Peter de Langen The book Towards a Better Ports Industry, written by PortEconomics co-director Peter de Langen was published last year. Recently, two reviews of the book, which is aimed at students and industry professionals, were published in academic journals focused on maritime and port research. Sheila Farrell from Imperial College London, wrote a review ((full article only accessible for subscribers, can be found: here), based on her lifelong...
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The Analyst: unconventional steps to combat crime?
Drug crime has been present in ports for centuries and is unlikely to ever go away, writes Peter de Langen. In some ports, like Rotterdam and Antwerp, much more attention has been given to drug crime recently. It is increasingly clear that workers in various activities, such as terminals, container depots and warehouses are vulnerable. Criminal groups actively try to get these workers to work for them. Given the huge ‘street value’ of drugs, the financial benefits for the workers are huge. Yet it does not stop there,...
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The localisation trend and the impact on ports
Maritime freight flows are the result of past supply chain design choices - if companies design global supply chains this results in global freight flows, comments Peter de Langen. Supply chain design choices generally lead to investments (in assets, partnerships and the like) and thus cannot be changed overnight. Hence, the current maritime flows are the result of past supply chain design choices. When contemplating the future of maritime freight flows, the best clue is to look at current and future supply chain design choices. One...
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Resolving the Suez backlog: predicting ship transits in capacity-constrained areas
The recent Suez Canal blockage prompts us to revisit access arrangements and practices for individual ships using capacity-constrained maritime infrastructures and passages. In a new article on "Resolving the ship backlog puzzle in the Suez Canal: predicting ship transits in capacity-constrained areas”, PortEconomics co-director Theo Notteboom, joins Mikael Lind, Wolfgang Lehmacher, Lars Jensen, Torbjorn Rydbergh, Rachael White, Hanane Becha, Luisa Antonia Rodriguez Ortega, and Peter Sand and verify the model of deriving queue numbers based...
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