IPCSA launches Foresight to boost port community systems

The International Port Community Systems Association (IPCSA) has announced the launch of Foresight – an initiative that will examine future scenarios and provide a framework and path forward for port community systems globally.

“Foresight exercises are recognised across many industries as essential elements of future planning. IPCSA is taking the lead in its industry by creating the first foresight exercise to support PCS operators and associated port operations.

“The exercise will bring together IPCSA members and external experts in a series of three two-day regional workshops, to be held over the course of a year. Brainstorming sessions will help to develop scenarios that could occur, their potential impacts and possible responses from the port community systems sector,” an official statement from Kale Logistics said.

The inaugural IPCSA Foresight meeting, to be held in Dubai on November 13-14, will be sponsored by Mumbai-based IPCSA member Kale Logistics Solutions, which is also a member of the IPCSA Foresight Expert Group, the statement added.

The IPCSA foresight exercise is being led by Uwe Liebschner, Customs Consultant and IPCSA Customs Manager, in collaboration with Inga Morton, IPCSA Managing Director and Will Sambrook, CEO of Akenham, who will act as moderator during the foresight workshops, the statement added.

“Foresight is about developing and thinking about scenarios and preparing to mitigate risks,” Liebschner says. “It’s not a concrete planning exercise for the next five years, but rather bringing people together with their collective intelligence to take a big picture view of what might happen in the years ahead – for example, geopolitical issues, demographic factors, climate change, resource shortages.”

“The purpose of the IPCSA Foresight Exercise is to explore opportunities and identify challenges that will arise in the future, to bring together IPCSA members from all regions to be involved and integrated into the discussions, and to increase communication and personal connections between members. At the end of the exercise, we will establish very high-level guidance and recommendations around potential mitigation measures and solutions. We cannot prepare 100% for potential challenges, but we can put in place a general framework to be prepared for future challenges.”

Vineet Malhotra, Co-Founder and Director, Kale, added: “Kale shares a unified vision with IPCSA to transform the global maritime industry through port community systems and cutting-edge digital solutions. Our collaboration with IPCSA, spanning over five years, has enabled us to bring a unique blend of innovation and automation that is driving global maritime trade. By supporting the inaugural Foresight event in Dubai, we aim to amplify the industry’s collective voice and strengthen its role in promoting the harmonization of global trade. This initiative is critical to shaping a future where streamlined and efficient trade becomes the norm across the industry.”

“With the rapid pace of digitalization and the urgent need for decarbonization, the Foresight project brings together key players dedicated to these critical causes, including the harmonization and simplification of trade.”

Key issues and challenges ahead for IPCSA members include adapting to rapidly evolving technologies, managing the complexities of global supply chains and ensuring interoperability between different port community systems, the statement added.