Development of a “Smart Dry Port” Indicator and Ranking Calculation for Spanish Dry Ports

Abstract

The objectives set in the 2030 agenda gravitate towards the concept of sustainability, a concept that is closely related to the efficiency of port operations. As a direct derivative of the search for more efficient logistics and port operations, a disruption of new technologies, associated with the term ‘Smart’, is making its way with a large range of new digital applications. The logistics and port sector is also undergoing a process of transition towards this kind of operational intelligence through digitized and increasingly automated devices. In this work, an analysis of the most relevant Spanish dry ports is carried out, with the clear objective of discovering their degree of adaptation to the ideal Smart concept. This was developed through the implementation of a descriptive statistical analysis and a Delphi methodology, a battery of indicators and measurement variables that classify, in an integral and objective way, the degree of the adaptation of these ports to the concept of the ideal Smart Dry Port; in this way, we obtained a ranking of the ports. The current and future trend of this type of Smart facilities is solid and clearly points towards a greater digitalization of port processes and an openness of information, with port facilities interconnected with each other through automated processes. The analysis gives a clear picture of the adaptation to digitalization and automation of three of the largest Spanish dry ports, in which there are ongoing efforts to adapt to this concept but for which there is still a long way to go.