Author(s)

G Sciutto, A Derito, A Traverso, G Dellepiane & G Pietronave

Abstract

Port development vs. technological development: the challenge of keeping the pace G. Sciutto1, A. Derito1, A. Traverso2, G. Dellepiane2, G. Pietronave2 1Sciro S.r.l., Genoa, Italy. 2CIRT (Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerche Transporti), University of Genoa, Italy. Abstract This paper presents an overview of the main features regarding both the port planning procedures and the information and communication technology development. All the projects regarding port infrastructures have to get through several steps before they pass to the operative phase. Firstly, an analysis of the current situation is necessary, underlining the results to be achieved based on a predictable future situation. However, there is a long period of time between this analysis and the moment in which the project may actually get started. This long period prevents analysts from making precise predictions about what the situation will be by the time the infrastructures will be built and the information systems will be implemented. All the civil projects are defined for a 20-30 years future horizon, while the information systems and the technological features foresee a sensibly shorter life period, usually 5-7 years. Planning a new port, or the enhancement of an already existent one, that time span difference leads to a situation where new infrastructures are run with a technology level generally corresponding to a former period. As a consequence, the whole effort afforded to build a modern port system is weakened by the fact that the brand-new port is matching the future challenges using the \“day-before’’ technology.

Keywords