Ports have been the missing link in the drive to digitalise the deep­sea shipping industry, but major players are set to change that.

A recent workshop backed by the International Taskforce Port Call Optimization group agreed that global port call data standards are essential to connect berth planning by terminals to navigation information used by ships.

Wartsila technicians perform auto-docking testing last year on the ferry Folgefonn Photo: Wartsila Photo: Wartsila

Taskforce chairman Ben van Scherpenzeel says all 80 participants agreed that port cooperation is essential to help address ­other important issues such as ­reducing emissions.