PORT DEVELOPMENT VS. TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT: THE CHALLENGE OF KEEPING THE PACE. IN: MARITIME ENGINEERING AND PORTS III

This paper presents an overview of the main features regarding both the port planning procedures and the information and communication technology development. All the projects regarding port infrastructure have to get through several steps before they pass to the operative phase. Planning a new port, or the enhancement of an already existent one, leads to the time span difference between a normal civil project definition for a 20-30 years future horizon versus technology/information shorter life period of 5-7 years. This means that effort afforded to build a modern port system is weakened by the fact that the brand new port is matching the future challenges using the "day-before" technology. In general, any port development requires procedures which may be divided in three steps to be passed through: analysis and work projects; project conforming to the master plan; and getting the projects under way.