Fall 2004 |
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Innovation center working
with academia and by T.J. BECKER |
When it comes to the operation of seaports, security and efficiency challenges are closely linked.
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| The Georgia Ports Authority contributes more than $35 billion annually to Georgia's economy and has a hand in providing jobs for one out of 14 Georgians. Shown here is the port of Savannah. | |
| Photo: Georgia Department of Economic Development | |
“We could generate 100 percent security simply by locking the ‘front doors’ of ports, but obviously that would have drastic consequences to U.S. commerce,” says Page Siplon, director of the Maritime Logistics Innovation Center (MLIC) in Savannah.
He points to the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), which contributes more than $35 billion annually to the state’s economy and has a hand in providing jobs for one out of 14 Georgians. “Anything we can do to enhance the shipping process will generate more revenue,” he adds.
MLIC is the first of Georgia’s innovation centers, an initiative launched by Gov. Sonny Perdue in 2003 to spark economic development in mid-sized cities throughout the state. Located at Georgia Tech’s Savannah campus, MLIC is a unique partnership between GPA, the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the University System of Georgia. MLIC is working with private industry to develop new technologies and adapt existing ones for the safe, efficient movement of freight.
Take external tracking and tracing. Seaports typically operate on a queue system where trucks arrive at port gates and enter a first-in/first-out processing system, relaying information about whether they are delivering or picking up goods along with the contents of the cargo. If all goes well, this only takes a few minutes. But whenever there is a problem – be it a security issue or a simple error in paperwork – long delays result and slow the movement of freight.
“By the time a truck arrives at the gate, it’s almost too late to do much about a security concern,” Siplon says. Because of long lines of traffic, seaport authorities have few options but to move vehicles forward and deal with any problems on site, he explains: “If we could start the information exchange before trucks reach the port, we would have time to do deeper security validation and could re-route vehicles if anything is questionable.”
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| Logistics and security are closely linked at U.S. ports. The Maritime Logistics Innovation Center is developing new solutions for both logistics and security issues. Here, containers are unloaded at the port of Savannah. | |
| Photo: Georgia Department of Economic Development | |
With that in mind, MLIC is creating a “mobile testbed” to see how various technologies such as global-positioning systems (GPS), general-packet radio service (GPRS) and radio-frequency identification (RFID), can be combined to improve external tracking and tracing. Aiding in this project are American Port Services, CarrierWeb and Cingular, three of MLIC’s first member companies.
Other MLIC projects include:
• Internal tracking and tracing. RFID tags can help locate cargo, but when several levels of containers are stacked within the port yard, reception problems proliferate. In response, MLIC is looking at new ways to improve asset visibility. MLIC’s research efforts are expected to result in the formation of new companies, and ATDC, Georgia Tech’s technology incubator, will help nurture these startups through its Savannah facility.
• Scanning and detection. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents use various technologies to search incoming shipments for explosives, radioactive materials and illegal immigrants, but existing tools have limitations. For example, bananas and television sets can cause false positives in some radiation-detection devices.
• Distribution-center tracking and tracing. Faculty researchers are analyzing how different technologies affect the supply chain. Participants include Chip White, a transportation professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, who serves as MLIC’s executive director, and Karl Manrodt, an assistant professor at Georgia Southern University, who specializes in international trade and logistics.
Looking at the entire supply chain is critical because a solution that might work well for one partner could cause problems for another. In fact, industry fragmentation is one of the greatest challenges in addressing maritime security and efficiency, Siplon notes.
“There’s no silver bullet,” he says. “Innovation requires a number of partners with different technologies and perspectives.”
For more information, contact Page Siplon at 912-966-7867 or page.siplon@atdc.org.
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Last updated: November 20, 2004