As part of the first Smart Maritime Network Dubai Conference, industry's leading experts, both local and international, joined together at the Conrad Dubai on November 9th to discuss major challenges in digitalizing the global transport and supply chain. SMN Dubai 2021 explored the different ways digitalization and innovation can help future proof the transport chain to ever more complex challenges, especially those that have arisen since Covid-19.
The conference shared its insights on the digital innovation being at the heart of global shipping and trade, where a historic lack of visibility within the supply chain has led to a disjointed industry with legacy costs and inefficiencies from a pre-digital era.
It is now widely recognized that data sharing and information exchange will improve business continuity, reduce risk and enhance performance. A more transparent industry will not only create inherent accountability and trust among actors but will also enable a faster response to regulatory requirements and an improved route towards the collective shipping and transport industry goal of sustainability.
This recognition and desire for greater transparency is leading to an uptake in ever smarter solutions – including initiatives to streamline and digitalize the exchange of information along the supply chain, as well as IoT innovations in tracking and` tracing. All these developments require access to increasingly sophisticated digital networks which come with new sets of challenges, including legislative, policy and security issues.
Digitizing Global Trade
The conference’s first session included various notable speakers, and the first keynote address was presented by Khamis Juma Buamim, Chairman, Dubai Council for Marine & Maritime industries, titled “Transforming our Environment, the impact of decarbonisation and digitalization.” The second keynote address was presented by Ibrahim Al Najjar, Director of Information Technology, DP World UAE, titled “Digitally Revolutionizing Global Trade: How DP World is harnessing digitalization for global trade and resilience.”
A role in the immediate future
During the first session, Marco Cristoforo Camporeale, Head of Maritime Digital, Inmarsat Maritime elaborated more on the intake of digitalization and smart solutions, pointing to the main challenges lying ahead with a presentation titled “A Changed World: The state of digital transformation in a post-covid maritime industry”. He made it clear that “by 2022, global spending on digital solutions in maritime will be three years ahead of pre-pandemic forecasts. For ship operators and managements, port and trade operations, it makes no sense to go back to the “old ways”. Looking ahead, digital tools can play a strong role in the immediate future of the decarbonisation journey.”
In 2019, among the top barriers to digital transformation was the lack of evidence on cost savings, cyber-attacks, disjointed data and systems, as well as lack of standardization and training, said Camporeale.
However, the pain of digital transformation, as Camporeale put it, lies in 3 main points: “Connectivity (cybersecurity, capacity, & availability), accuracy (fidelity, contextual setting, & traceability), and ship dynamics (crew involvement, skill development, & safety). The infrastructure evolution basically surrounds capacity & availability, IOT platforms, hosting platforms, and segregated bandwidth for applications.”
Another presentation was followed by Andrés de León, Chief Executive Officer, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, mainly discussing “The Future of Transportation: Taking freight transportation to the next level; A new concept for a hyperloop-based containerized freight transport.”
Panel & Roundtable Discussions
The first session also included a panel discussion “Return on Investment in Technology Projects”, as well as roundtables discussion sessions, where each table had the chance to focus on a unique topic centered around the Smart Maritime Network goal of establishing better collaboration and standardization in maritime technology.
The second session, which was held under the title “Digital Cooperation Driving Efficiency & Sustainability”, included a presentation by Emad Al Humam, Senior Vice President of corporate services, International Maritime Industries IMI, on the “Digital Ship of Future”.
