With container cargo volume expected to increase and as ships are getting big, major terminals of the world are competing ever more fiercely to seize the initiative in becoming an international logistics hub. Container terminals are trying to ensure their viability by not only expanding terminal facilities for handling ships and securing container cargo volume, but also reinforcing the functions of planning, control, and monitoring to upgrade terminal productivity and ensure efficient operation.

For this purpose, a terminal considers investing in hardware and software. In terms of hardware, port facilities are expanded mainly through massive facility investment such as acquisition of advanced offloading equipment and replacement with new highly productive equipment. As far as investment in software is concerned, efficiency upgrade is sought through advancing and diversifying terminal functions or heightening the level of automation by replacing an terminal operating system.

More than anything else, the operating system for a container terminal is a crucial factor with a direct bearing on the terminal productivity, and it is not much to say that it is the brain of a terminal. It’s because the operation of advanced offloading equipment and automated offloading system must be as productive as possible at most terminals to ensure that they develop into high-productivity terminals, which is their top priority. Now, port productivity upgrade requires development of an automated offloading system as well as next-generation technology that can ensure its optimized operation.

In this light, some advanced terminals are putting in a lot of efforts to develop technology for a next-generation AI-based terminal operating system with a view to productivity improvement. However, at the great majority of terminals of the world, the operating system continues to stick to manual mode or planning and control with a simple system. These terminals should be provided with an operating system that supports complex operation that overtaxes a manual mode and an operating system that can effectively plan and execute an automated offloading system.