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Moffatt & Nichol has become an official endorsing organization for the International Taskforce Port Call Optimization (ITPCO), an internationally recognized and neutral working group that has developed standards for ship to shore information exchange.

The endorsement extends to Moffatt & Nichol’s operational digital twin company, NextPort. NextPort’s technology solution for ports and terminals brings together previously siloed information and standardizes it to the Terminal Industry Committee, TIC 4.0, initiative. Through this collated data, the software is not only able to troubleshoot immediate operational problems, but gather long term data to enable operational improvements at a strategic level.

The aim of ITPCO is to reduce and optimize vessel berth time at ports. It’s advancing best practice globally by moving from a siloed approach where there’s improvement at just one port, to working at a strategic level to bring about a sustained improvement.

Miluše Tichavska, Green Ports Director at Moffatt & Nichol, said: “Global supply chains are complex systems which rely on transparency and collaboration to keep moving. By endorsing the International Taskforce Port Call Optimization (ITPCO), we hope to support the industry as it works as one to increase efficiency.”

Dr. Oscar Pernia, Chief Technology Officer at NextPort, said: “Our technology connects information across metocean, vessel schedules and positions, and marine operations events. Endorsing ITPCO is key enabler for interoperability across systems, and we are active contributors to adoption of its standard data models and API.”  

Captain Ben van Scherpenzeel. ITPCO Chairman, said: “ITPCO welcomes parties who harmonize their solutions with the IMO and IHO standards as an endorser of ITPCO.”

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Originally posted here.

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Terminal operators pioneering the use of NextPort have shared with the industry how it is improving their operations.

Speaking at the Container Terminal Automation Conference (CTAC) in Valencia, Spain, three operators discussed their different stages of integration of the NextPort solution and the results they are already seeing.

Clients noted that the technology functions as an augmentation layer, enhancing operational efficiency, simplifying troubleshooting, and ensuring information is easier to obtain and apply effectively – in addition to feedback into the system to enable continuous improvement and learn from troubleshooting.

Clients also noted that the industrialization capabilities were important, so they could scale up.

Hein Chetcuti, Chief Transformation Officer, Malta Freeport told the conference that previously the terminal had suffered from congestion. “We could resolve 50% of the problem but the other 50% was proving impossible. No one was able to understand what was happening,” he said.

Malta Freeport had already started working with NextPort, but took the decision to harvest the data collected to create a holistic picture of what was happening at the terminal, rather than looking at data in silos.

“We decided to use the data in the control room to start uncovering what the TOS was not telling us,” he said.

From that, they were able to understand and address how human behaviors were impacting operational efficiencies.

“We’re uncovering things that were previously unseen. These include situations where the TOS has dispatched the task to the machine, but an issue with an operator had delayed implementation. We’ve now been able to address that issue, which would normally be unseen. With NextPort, the machine has spotted something unexpected and created an alert,” said Hein.

Using the insight, they have been able to educate the team to reduce operational inefficiencies. “It’s nice to talk about AI, which will happen of course, and this platform is the foundation for that, but at the same time we have started understanding and educating people by showing them their behaviors,” said Hein.

Meanwhile, John Alvarez, Research and Development Director, Fenix Marine Services, explained to delegates at the conference terminal complexity creates a monitoring challenge.

“We have a very typical commercial operation, utilizing up to 20 RTGs, 50 Top handlers and 150 UTR. We rely heavily on process automation. For this work, every single machine needs to send the information every single time, all the sensors need to be working, and how can you monitor that manually? It’s almost impossible. The only way to do that is to have this type of tool. With the real time monitor, it tells us if something is failing, so it’s very important.”

At the same time, he said they value the data that is being generated which enables insights into continuous improvement. “You cannot improve what you cannot measure, so the first thing we need to do is measure what we have and try to improve that. If you don’t have these tools it’s almost impossible.”

At CMA CGM, the company is already implementing NextPort in three terminals and looking to expand it into 10.

Francisco Blanquer, R&D Senior Manager, CMA CGM said: “We needed to create it into an industrial product for many terminals, so we needed something at we could copy and paste. We’re already in implementation in three terminals, but this year we’re going to start implementing it in ten. Scaling this up is the key for us.”

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At the heart of the new brand is the “N” monogram, representing the modeling and optimization of complex operational data in one intelligent system. It’s dynamic and purposeful—a symbol of movement, efficiency, and forward momentum. Paired with a custom-designed wordmark, the logo reflects our commitment to clarity, precision, and performance.

The refreshed identity is more than a visual change. It’s a signal of where we’re going and how we’re evolving to meet the real-world challenges of today’s terminals. Across every touchpoint, the new brand expresses who we are:

Innovative, expert, and focused on delivering results.

We’re not just updating how we look.

We’re reaffirming our mission: to turn operational complexity into clarity and to help our partners move confidently into the future.

We're thrilled to announce that NextPort has been listed one of the "50 Most Innovative Startups and Scaleups in Maritime" by Thetius, a respected research firm guiding maritime leaders in technology decisions.

For an in-depth look at the Thetius publication, click here.

Looking forward, we will continue the deployment and validation of cutting-edge AI software and partner with top port authorities and terminal operators to enhance decision-making. Our next steps include the launch of our innovative solutions in 2025.

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NextPort’s partnership with SAAM Terminals will enable a significant leap in operational excellence. Implementing our digital twin and artificial intelligence solution will streamline planning processes and enhance real-time decision-making. This collaboration will transform data from different systems into actionable intelligence, driving efficiency and optimization across SAAM's global terminals.

For more information, visit https://www.saamterminals.com/blog/2024/07/08/saam-terminals-partners-with-next-port-ai-to-boost-digital-solutions-in-ports/

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Senior ports subject matter expert Jose Garcia de la Guia represented NextPort during the kick-off of the SAFARI Ports project in Lille the week of June 17th.

SAFARI, a €6.2 million initiative focused on developing safe and climate-resilient infrastructure, is funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe program. It brings together 24 organizations from nine countries, including France, Spain, Greece, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Portugal, Lebanon, and Italy.

Many ports and terminals are being challenged by extreme weather events that threaten their business continuity - next generation decision-making tools will provide predictive and prescriptive capabilities. Together with the project partners, NextPort will deploy our DigitalTwin product that will enhance operational resilience in the Ports of Seville, Dunkirk and Lisbon.

Read more about SAFARI’s project here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/safari-project-enhance-port-resilience-against-extreme-weather-nru5e/?trackingId=pr8lxEvGRn2PqrEUcCRAvA%3D%3D

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