Digital twins: where port authorities start

The question

How can a port authority identify, classify and prioritise possible digital twin use cases, taking into account its different internal users and the balance between expected impacts and required resources?

The method

Case study of the Port of Barcelona with 77 semi-structured interviews across 18 departments (March-December 2024) and 12 interviews with international ports; identification of 80 use cases, grouped into three user groups and assessed by 12 internal representatives on 9 criteria (1-3 scale) split between impacts and required resources.

What the study finds

80 applicationsof a digital twin identified for a port authorityThe 77 interviews at the Port of Barcelona and 12 with other international ports led to 80 possible digital twin applications for a port authority, split among three kinds of internal users: operations, support and administration, and functions linking with outside parties.

33%of use cases with high impact, modest resourcesFor the operations group, 70% of the applications identified in Barcelona were also mentioned by international ports. The authors report that 33% of proposed use cases fall in the most favourable quadrant (high impact, modest resources); among ongoing port projects, tools to better predict ship arrivals and departures stand out.

Almost all interviewed ports are taking their first steps, each with its own strategy, and for all of them a complete digital twin is a long-term goal. According to the authors, defining objectives clearly matters more than technical requirements: without it, the architecture becomes much more complex.
The port authority, terminals and service providers collect different data in different ways, which complicates integrating sources and tends to produce solutions tailored to a single port that are hard to replicate elsewhere.
Asked to weigh the criteria for deciding whether to launch an application, ports put the effect on other members of the port community and environmental impact first; at the bottom are speed of delivery and in-house skills, because the solutions are innovative and take time, and development is usually outsourced.
In Livorno, a port right next to the city, one of the main aims of the digital twin is tracking emissions in real time, together with the ability of infrastructure to withstand extreme weather events.

Why it matters for ports and cities

The study gives port authorities a method for deciding which digital applications to start with, comparing benefits with the resources needed. It also shows that ports value most the applications useful to several members of the port community and those addressing environmental impact, a concern felt especially where the port borders the city. It does not specifically address cruise traffic.

Limitations

Qualitative ratings (1-3 scale) given by internal staff of a single port; benefits are not quantified and the authors call for validation through pilot projects. The Port of Barcelona has no river traffic, which limits some use cases. Cruises are mentioned only as one of the port's traffic types.

Full reference and source

Saragani, C., Garrido, J., Saurí, S. (2026). Digital twin adoption in port authorities: a structured framework for use case assessment. Journal of Shipping and Trade, 11:12 (Springer Nature).

Read the original study ↗

Summary written by the ODYBOAT Observatory in our own words. Tables and figures belong to the authors.