New Initiative for Smart Ports

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A joint effort is made to use satellite-based solutions for turning a port into a smart one. The UK Situational Awareness Information National Technology Service (SAINTS) brings together experts from business, universities and the public sector to find ways of using artificial intelligence (AI) to harness data and develop digital solutions for the general management of Ports.

The North East European region has been chosen as an “ideal location” for the Smart Port testbed, with the local economy strongly connected to the ports and a tight-knit business community serving as the perfect catalyst for collaboration.

Catherine Johns, Innovation Director at Business Durham, commented: “The launch of SAINTS illustrates the important role the region’s fast-growing satellite and space sector can play in finding solutions to local issues and developing them to solve global problems in a sustainable way.”

Digitization initiatives, as part of SAINTS, will involve the testing of scalable, satellite-based solutions for ports, providing new business opportunities and hinterland engagement, accelerating the growth of green energy, improving customer experience, and achieving operational efficiency.

In addition to this, the testbed will examine technologies such as data analytics, unmanned marine vessels, and airborne drones, allowing ports to become smarter, speeding up trade, and reducing operational costs, according to porttechnology.org.

Stuart Martin, CEO of the Satellite Applications Catapult, said: “as international trade continues to grow unabated, this initiative from SAINTS is an exciting new opportunity for UK companies to make significant technological advances for ports, and show what is possible from a combination of satellite data, terrestrial measurements and AI”.