Ports run on information, or as Port of Rotterdam Port Object Information project manager Erwin Rademaker said in The Port of Rotterdam | Esri Video at the 2014 Esri International User Conference, Information is the "5th Modality". This is where Erwin showed the live "Briefing Book" access of PortMaps, the central GIS System of Record for the port. Another view from the shipping industry perspective, specifically written by Albert Thissen of Hapag-Lloyd, also requires understanding the logistics of data flow as critical as the flow of physical goods (Information – the most valuable commodity in the world | Port of Rotterdam )
These older links came to mind as I read about a proposed offshore network, or mesh, of blimp-based WiFi routers. BLUECOM+ might also utilize, where appropriate, the towers of offshore wind farms. Such a system could enable the Sea Traffic Management (STM) system that is the next geneneration of MonaLisa 2.0 (Digital Twin decision support, in 2019 lingo).
*UPDATE*
Since this original post in 2016, there have been examples of hacking into enterprise systems and of GPS spoofing. These show the need for cybersecurity at sea as well as in ports, and whether we are ready or not, the threat exists that these systems will be compromised. Using any compute resource, whether programmable logic controller (PLC) or more complex software, creates a risk of bad information that must be mitigated. Ideally, as with most maritime risks, the best solution is to have multiple sources of independent information that assist the mariner in situational awareness by enabling correlation. This is true for navigation, and also for weather, port berth, or contracts. A new set of tools, based on blockchain ledger entries, will also help the mariner trust the information used for decision-making. I am excited to see solutions that are location-aware get deployed both in ports and at sea.
What are your thoughts? With robotic ships already in the works, what risks are becoming evident?
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