The Era of Contacting by Phone in Port Logistics Ends... Busan Port Advances Smartification with Digital Twin Technology

Busan Port Authority Signs Agreement with Ministry of Science and ICT and National Information Society Agency

460 Million KRW Invested in 2021 Demonstration Project to Build 5G-Based Platform

Conceptual Diagram of Smart Port Logistics System.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] The Port of Busan is introducing 'digital twin' technology to establish a smart port logistics system. The era of port logistics operations relying on phone calls between managers is coming to an end.

The Busan Port Authority (BPA, President Nam Ki-chan) announced on the 21st that it held a kickoff meeting for the demonstration project "5G-based Digital Twin Public Leading Smart Port Logistics Platform Construction" on the 21st, together with the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and the National Information Society Agency.

This demonstration project is a plan to build an integrated digital twin platform for shipping, ports, and hinterland logistics to optimize and improve the efficiency of Busan Port operations.

A total of 4.6 billion KRW will be invested by the end of this year, including 3.2 billion KRW in government funds and 1.4 billion KRW in private contributions.

In February, the BPA consortium was selected as the final project operator in the "5G-based Digital Twin Public Leading Smart Port Logistics Platform Construction" competition hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Information Society Agency.

The BPA consortium includes 10 companies such as KLNet Co., Ltd., responsible for shipping and hinterland logistics platforms; Total Softbank Co., Ltd., responsible for the port sector; and EZPark Co., Ltd., responsible for the integrated platform.

They plan to build the integrated platform and complete the demonstration project targeting smart container ships by the end of this year.

Using digital twin technology, which was selected as one of the top 10 representative tasks of the Korean New Deal policy, a virtual reality environment replicating the actual Port of Busan will be implemented.

The integrated platform will support optimized decision-making for various stakeholders such as terminal operators and transport companies by reflecting various situations occurring in port operations, such as ship arrival and departure routes, times, and berth changes.

By using this platform, terminal operators and transport companies can anticipate changes in berthing times through real-time ship location information transmitted via satellite and adjust work plans in advance.

Utilizing simulation functions, multiple scenarios can be tested in advance to derive the most efficient plan, thereby increasing productivity.

By linking with the Busan City Traffic Information Service, container transport drivers will be able to predict terminal arrival times and optimal travel routes in advance.

Although digital twin technology has already been introduced and utilized in global advanced ports such as Rotterdam and Singapore, its application has been limited to specific areas like port construction and ship arrivals and departures.

Through this project, BPA expects to enhance the organic connectivity among the key components of the port?shipping, ports, and hinterland logistics?and increase the overall operational efficiency of the Port of Busan.

Nam Ki-chan, President of the Busan Port Authority, said, "Despite the advancement of 4th industrial technologies, information exchange and decision-making at ports have mostly been limited to communication between managers," adding, "By building a smart port logistics platform, we will improve the efficiency of information exchange among operating entities and derive optimized operational plans, making this an opportunity to further develop the Port of Busan."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.