How to Drive Innovation in Ports and Terminals: 2025 and Beyond
Reflections from the CHESSCON Conference - 18 November
On 18 November, we hosted this year’s CHESSCON Conference under the theme “How to Drive Innovation in Ports and Terminals: 2025 and Beyond.” With participants joining from more than 25 countries, from Chile to Singapore and across Europe, the event once again demonstrated how global and interconnected the terminal industry truly is.
Over several compact sessions, our speakers explored the technological, economic and operational forces shaping the future of ports and terminals. Here are the key insights from the day:
Decarbonisation as a Driving Force
José Andrés Giménez from Fundacion Valencia Port opened the conference with a deep dive into the realities of decarbonising container terminals. His analysis showed that yard equipment still accounts for up to 90% of fuel consumption. He highlighted the accelerating shift toward electrification, discussed cable reel vs. busbar systems for RTG cranes, and shared hands-on learnings from Valencia’s multi-year hydrogen pilot project, including the operational challenges of refuelling and autonomy during daily shifts.
His conclusion was clear: while hydrogen remains promising, electrification is currently the most practical and impactful path for terminals aiming to reduce emissions.
Global Pressures on Ports and Supply Chains
Ninan Biju Oommen from the World Bank Group expanded the perspective with an insightful macroeconomic analysis. Rising import volumes in developing countries, climate-related risks, and geopolitical disruptions such as the Red Sea crisis continue to put pressure on global port infrastructure.
He underlined the role of digitalisation, performance measurement and port reform as essential tools for improving port resilience and efficiency. The World Bank’s data-driven frameworks — such as the Container Port Performance Index — demonstrate how transparency and digital platforms can help ports respond to volatility and maintain competitiveness.
Digitalising a Multi-Purpose Terminal: The UNIKAI Project
From there, the focus shifted to Bremerhaven, where Stefan Henke and Kai Messerschmidt presented the digital transformation project at the UNIKAI terminal. Beginning with largely manual and paper-based processes, the project introduced:
- automated cargo measurement,
- IT-supported yard planning,
- rule-based allocation for all cargo types, including general cargo,
- and a real-time 3D terminal visualisation, developed using CHESSCON.
Their work shows how even highly complex multi-purpose terminals can achieve significant operational improvements through data, automation and digital workflows.
Digitalisation + Decarbonisation: A Combined Future
Finally, Lawrence Henesey explored how digitalisation, simulation and AI intersect with the decarbonisation journey. From digital twins and energy simulations to predictive maintenance and resource optimisation, he illustrated how data-driven technologies enable ports and terminals to operate more efficiently and sustainably — especially as global infrastructure utilisation remains high and investment pressure continues to grow.
Looking Ahead
The conference closed with an open discussion in out Get Together session and Q&A, covering everything from hydrogen logistics to shore power development, multi-story RoRo parking concepts and predictions for 2026, including fleet renewal, scrapping trends and evolving shipping rates.
Across all sessions, one message stood out: innovation in ports and terminals is no longer optional, it is essential.
Electrification, digitalisation and data-driven planning will shape the competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of ports in 2025 and beyond.
We thank all speakers and participants for their valuable contributions and look forward to continuing the conversation at next year’s CHESSCON Conference.