Livorno, port of the future
Less emissions, but also more energy savings, transit time reduction and professional staff growth: the introduction of 5G technologies in a complex system such as commercial ports brings environmental, economic and social benefits.
These are the conclusions of the research project “Logistics of the future in Sustainable Smart Ports”, created by the partnership between private and public entities: Eni Enrico Mattei Foundation, Ericsson Italia, Port System Authority of the North Tyrrhenian Sea and the National Interuniverse Consortium of Telecommunications (CNIT).
The project is part of the European research program Corealis, which aims to analyse the impact of new connectivity technologies (5G) within port logistics platforms.
The aim is to understand how to connect objects such as containers carried by ships, ships themselves and loading and unloading systems of docks through the lever of technology.
Ports are essential to the European economy: 74% of goods exported or imported into the EU are transported through its seaports. At the same time, the challenges that port systems face are becoming increasingly important, as freight volumes increase even if carried by fewer and fewer ships. Around one million workers are employed in European ports and the impact of European maritime traffic has been 147 million tonnes of CO2 in 2018, 16% of the global impact. 5G digital networks and technologies are key to addressing these challenges and transforming port operations to generate sustainable development.
