Using the SWOT Methodology to Know the Scope of the Digitalization of the Spanish Ports

Nicoleta González-Cancelas, Beatriz Molina Serrano, Francisco Soler-Flores and Alberto Camarero-Orive
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Nicoleta González-Cancelas: Departamento de Ingeniería Civil. Transportes, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Beatriz Molina Serrano: Departamento de Ingeniería Civil. Transportes, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Francisco Soler-Flores: Departamento de Informática, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28903 Madrid, Spain
Alberto Camarero-Orive: Departamento de Ingeniería Civil. Transportes, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain

Logistics, 2020, vol. 4, issue 3, 1-20

Abstract: In the specific case of maritime transport, one of the most notable examples of digitalization is smart ports. Their positive impact on the supply chain is enabling processes to be optimized through smarter production. In the case of Spain, the Spanish public entity Puertos del Estado (Puertos del Estado is a public business entity dependent on the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, with overall responsibility for the entire state-owned port system.) has launched Ports 4.0, the largest open innovation fund for the logistics-port ecosystem. It is therefore necessary to know the point of digitalization in which the Spanish ports are and the present scenario in which they develop their activity. For this purpose, a SWOT analysis (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats analysis) is proposed, which is an ideal tool to make a reliable diagnosis of the port system in relation to a certain project before which we wish to make a strategic decision, in this case digitalization, in order to establish a concrete action plan in this regard. This should be the first step towards developing the Ports 4.0 project. The main conclusion of the analysis is that Spanish ports are currently at a medium high level of digitalization, and that they continue to update and innovate in order to be increasingly competitive in this market, despite the fact that there is still a long way to go in digitalization. The main challenge for Spanish ports is that technology alone is not useful enough to reach Ports 4.0 status; the technology also needs to be used in an integrated, open and joint way by all the agents of the port community, which is one of the main handicaps at present.

Keywords: digitalization; intermodality; Spanish port system; strategic analysis; Delphi panel; SWOT matrix (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L8 L80 L81 L86 L87 L9 L90 L91 L92 L93 L98 L99 M1 M10 M11 M16 M19 R4 R40 R41 R49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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