Digital Transformation of Ports: a Status of the Port of Hamburg and the Port of Singapore

Abstract

The current third economic revolution urges organizations to digitally transform in their entirety. This implies that the use of technology will be increased in order to enhance organizational performance. Ports worldwide have to face a various number of challenges and meet them by taking measures of digitalization. The Port of Hamburg and the Port of Singapore took numerous measures in order to cope with these challenges and to remain attractive transshipment hubs and actors in supply chains. The implemented measures were analyzed and evaluated in order to determine a state of progress regarding digital transformation of both ports. The result shows that both ports are far advanced in terms of digitalization. However, the Port of Hamburg is slightly more advanced than the Port of Singapore. Nevertheless, both ports show potential for digital improvements. They have to catch up especially in terms of social network activity and the application of wearables, whereas the PoS should also focus on the use of apps and the “Internet of Things”. In addition, it is recommended to both ports to always keep an eye on the development of competing ports and to increase the level of collaboration with them as well as with organizations of highly digitalized industries in order to get suggestions for further digitalization measures and the improvement of already implemented ones.