Port Planning and Development Asia Summit - highlights

Our Head of Consulting and Energy Transition, Shivaprakash Rao, attended the 9th Port Planning and Development Asia Summit in Singapore, where he led a workshop on "Port planning strategy to handle overcapacity and lagging port productivity" and delivered a presentation on "Strategic port planning for long-term sustainability".

The workshop was well received by the audience and Shiva commented:

A fantastic first day at the Port Planning Asia Summit 2023, it was a pleasure to meet with the delegation from Ghana Ports and Harbour.

Overcapacity, exposure to transhipment, and lagging port productivity are some of the major challenges facing ports in the region. The increasing demand for cargo transportation has led to congestion, delays, and inefficiencies, making it imperative for ports to explore alternative routes to mitigate these challenges.

To address these issues, port planning strategies need to be adaptive and responsive to changes in the industry. Performance, design, and data are some of the key areas that must be incorporated into port planning strategies. By doing so, ports can improve their operational efficiency, increase their capacity, and enhance their competitiveness.
Ports must also be prepared to face regulatory, environmental, and financial challenges. This requires developing strategies that are adaptable to changes in regulations, environmentally sustainable, and financially viable.

To achieve these goals, ports must engage in collaborative planning with stakeholders such as shipping lines, freight forwarders, and local communities. This will help to create a shared vision and a comprehensive strategy for port development and operation.

Port planning strategies that incorporate adaptive and innovative solutions are essential for ports to address the challenges of overcapacity and lagging productivity.

As Shiva quoted at the end of the 4-day conference:

There was clear consensus from most that above all, ports personify the culture and identity of the cities they thrive in.