Port Automation and Smart Ports: Operational Intelligence and the Application of the UNE 178110:2024 Standard Within the Framework of Smart Cities

Abstract

To view port automation at the present day simply as being about cranes and the application of technology would be to totally misrepresent what is occurring in today's leading-edge ports. In reality, something much greater than mere technology is happening; there is a complete transformation. Today, the port has evolved into a networked environment through which data flow, stakeholders' coordinated actions are executed, and decisions can now often occur virtually in "real-time."

This paper will trace that transition from the use of automation for tasks and terminals to configurations of the port which operate with systemic logic.

The research draws upon recent scientific publications, technical documentation, and existing legislation. Based on this foundation, the paper will assess four aspects that are invariably interrelated; namely, operational intelligence, data governance, sustainability, and the functional relationships between the port and the smart city. The UNE 178110:2024 standard occupies a specific position within the study for reasons other than its regulatory status; i.e., because it provides a defined framework by which port digitization can be linked to the underlying principles of developing smart cities.

In addition to identifying the advantages associated with such transitions from a strategic perspective (i.e. the competitive advantage associated with becoming a smart port), the paper will identify the challenges that emerge once these transitions move to daily operations. These include technological barriers, organizational resistance, regulatory requirements and institutional coordination. Each of these factors necessitate a new paradigm for viewing the port; i.e., not solely as an infrastructural logistics tool but as an integral participant in regional planning, sustainable urbanism, and competing effectively in the global transportation system.