Investments in Automation Need Long Time Lines and Political Stability

During the fourth session of TLME Future-Proof Technologies Conference held recently in Dubai, conference moderator Lars Jensen asked Director of Portwise, Dr Yvo Saanen if it was possible to realise the full benefits of automation at ports and terminals in the near future.

Talking of the state of automation across ports globally Dr Saanen pointed out to the Indian ports of Mundra and Vizagnam that are in various stages of automation.

With kind of industrial growth projected for India, Dr Saanen was sure that they would need a lot more ports in the future and those would all be automated.

Africa was another story, said Dr Saanen, as political unstability was a big hinderance to investments in ports, giving the example of what has happened to DP World's investments in the Port of Djibouti due "intervention from politicians."

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