Thames Freeport - Britain's Trading Future

[ 77 ] and quickly to the port’s management. It also tracks periods of inactivity and identifies where and when assets are over- or under-utilised. With this near real-time record of travel times and distances, routes taken, and tonnage discharged at its fingertips, the Port’s management team can make data-driven decisions to optimise operations. That, in turn, enables a more collaborative relationship with customers — based on shared information and mutual decision-making — and makes the best use of resources and assets to meet everyone’s needs. This move towards greater digitisation can improve all aspects of a port’s operations. Greater efficiency, lower costs, better monitoring, and increased safety are all observed and observable outcomes. But, just as the economic benefits of a freeport extend beyond the activities of the port itself, the benefits of its technology are also felt by the wider community. It’s useful to think of a freeport as a complex, layered, mechanical ecosystem. Like Amazonian rainforests, they support thousands of interconnected organisms and activities, with each layer supporting the next and vital to the overall health of the biotope, the wellbeing of fellow-inhabitants, and the sustainability of the wider environment. Every layer is driven by advanced digital capabilities, with security, surveillance and safety, smart devices and real-time intelligence enabling the smart freeport to boost its own operations. That in turn attracts investment, builds impetus for expansion, creates new jobs and brings money into the local area. The ecosystem breathes, grows, and supports life outside of its physical boundaries. Belfast Harbour is a perfect example of the way a port’s transformation is intimately connected to the regeneration of the wider area. BT is working with the Harbour to build a state-of-the- art 5G ecosystem within the port. The immediate goal is to create operational efficiencies, optimising processes across transport, logistics, the supply chain and shipping, as well as boosting productivity through the smooth running of the port’s operations. BT trials live demonstrations of augmented and virtual reality at Belfast Harbour Just as the economic benefits of a freeport extend beyond the activities of the port itself, the benefits of its technology are also felt by the wider community