‘We’re uncovering things that were previously unseen’ – pioneer NextPort terminals explain the product’s impact

Digital twins are proving to be a key driver of effective operations, providing users not just with data, but with actionable insights that would previously have gone unseen.

Alongside this, Latin America’s port landscape is expanding quickly, with countries like Brazil, Colombia, and Panama among the highest for year-on-year container growth in 2024, with Brazil up 19.6%. We’ve also seen Chancay Port in Peru come into operation, and Brazil’s STS 10 and Chile’s Puerto Exterior de San Antonio on the horizon.

But progress in the region isn’t without obstacles. Drought at the Panama Canal in 2023 caused major rerouting of maritime traffic. Economic strain in Argentina and drought in the Paraná River—critical for inland container transport—resulted in a container traffic decline of -29.5%, exposing how quickly established trade patterns can shift.

Even as growth rebounds, the mix of rapid expansion and episodic disruption is redefining the needs of the industry landscape. Ports and terminals that can read conditions early and adapt in real-time will be best positioned to capture periods of growth, and best prepared for potential disruptions.

Digital twin technology’s potential for the industry is clear, but its adoption across the Americas has been uneven. Many operators remain cautious, questioning whether their existing digital infrastructure is robust enough to handle the vast quantities of data that digital twins depend on. Others point to the urgent need for stronger cybersecurity measures to protect these new, advanced systems from emerging threats. Along with these concerns, a common question among many in the industry is: how will digital twin technology shape the industry’s future operations?

These are the questions that will define the next stage of digital transformation for ports in the Americas, with real-world examples being central to this discussion. In San Antonio, Chile, NextPort’s deployment at Hanseatic Global Terminals Latin America demonstrates how digital twins are already helping operators improve visibility and decision-making across their operational landscape. NextPort integrates real-time data from across the terminal and generates alerts when disruptions occur, or even when they are likely to occur in the near future. This includes logistics at quay, yard and gate. With access to advanced disruption notification, as well as detailed data on the disruptions themselves, operators can troubleshoot these problems before they become major issues within the port or terminal. Additionally, NextPort records and learns from historical operational data, which provides the foundation for continuous improvement across the system. For our partners, this technology is revolutionizing the way that ports and terminals operate.  

At Hanseatic Global Terminals Latin America, we believe Artificial Intelligence begins with understanding operations. By turning data chaos into intelligent operations, we’re empowering our teams to make faster, smarter decisions grounded in clarity and control.”

— Iván Deosdad, Senior Vice President of Operations, Hanseatic Global Terminals Latin America.

The next step is to further refine the system to filter, prioritize, and summarize these alerts, ensuring that operators receive the most relevant insights first and can focus their attention where it matters most.

TOC Americas 2025 provides an opportunity to move this conversation forward with others in the industry. At its core there is a shared recognition that, if thoughtfully integrated, digital twins can serve as both a driver of efficiency and resilience by positioning ports and terminals for long term growth amidst an evolving landscape. From forecasting demand to managing disruptions, this technology has the power to reshape how terminals operate, but the challenge lies in how quickly industry can put this into practice.

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We’re pleased to announce the release of NextPort’s NXP Terminals v1.5, which includes a targeted set of improvements that streamline how users interact with the platform. These updates are aimed at making terminal operations more intuitive, insightful, and responsive. From real-time 3D visualization to enhanced alarm management, this release reflects our ongoing commitment to providing our users with innovative new ways of managing terminal operations.

Some of the new features included in the update are:

TopView — 3D Visualization

3D Visualization is now available in our TopView application, offering real-time, interactive, and spatially accurate views of terminal operations. Users are now able to visualize equipment and vessels in motion with enhanced detail and scale accuracy.

Key Benefits:

• Real-time, 3D monitoring of terminal equipment.

• Interactive features like click and hover for CHEs, and follow modes for TTs.

FlowOps — Alarm filtering by role and type

FlowOps’s historical alarms tab now better aligns with user roles, only displaying alarms that are relevant to each user. Additionally, users now have the ability to filter by alarm type as well as by name.

Key Benefits:

• Cleaner and more relevant alarm views for each user.

• Improved usability and faster access to critical alerts.

• Enhanced filtering for better operational visibility.

LeanIQ — New Live Performance Dashboard

Updates to the LeanIQ application now include a set of new dashboards as well as performance improvements. These dashboards are fully integrated with Power BI pipelines and dataflows.

Key Benefits:

• Dashboards are now aligned with shift times for improved workflow visibility.

• New versions of the “Performance” and “Alarms” live dashboards are now available.

NextPort Terminals v1.5 is another step forward in building a more integrated, data-driven terminal environment. These updates are designed to provide greater clarity for users, increase system responsiveness, and support smoother terminal operations.

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This summer, NextPort will prototype a new app to integrate biodiversity data into its digital twin solution. The app will help safeguard marine mammals such as dolphins and whales, by enabling maritime traffic in the Strait of Gibraltar to see the likely locations of their habitats.

The app will be developed as part of a new research and development project with the Port Authority of Algeciras Bay (APBA) aimed at safeguarding cetaceans – whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals – from maritime traffic. The project, called Guardianes del Mar (“Guardians of the Sea”), is entering its second phase in 2025.

Launched by APBA in 2023, Guardianes del Mar began with the trial of an underwater monitoring system to track cetaceans in the Strait of Gibraltar. This system enabled the creation of digital risk maps consisting of data gathered by habitat types, to help identify areas of conflict between maritime traffic and marine mammals.

As one of APBA’s next steps for this project, NextPort will develop a mobile application to support the initiative. Working in close collaboration with APBA and other local partners, the app will help people at sea to easily report cetacean sightings to enable broader and more accurate data collection on marine mammal movements and habitat data. Once gathered, this data will be analyzed and integrated into NextPort’s digital twin; bringing an intelligent, digital layer of protection to marine mammals throughout the Strait.

“Guardianes del Mar reflects how ports can leverage digital tools to protect marine life while improving their operations,” said Oscar Pernia, Chief Technology Officer at NextPort. “It’s a great example of the type of challenge NextPort was built to support, and our wider company purpose – with Moffatt & Nichol – to support our industry sustainability and environmental goals,” said  Miluše Tichavska, GreenPorts & Sustainability Director at Moffatt & Nichol.

The project is part of the wider APBA’s Green Strategy and it’s focused on expanding knowledge and awareness of cetacean presence in the Strait, which is one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors, through which more than 100,000 vessels pass annually.

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