New approaches and technologies to manage the next big step-change in container vessel sizes, call exchanges and carrier service expectations at ports and terminals worldwide will be a major focus of attention at the upcoming TOC Container Supply Chain Europe 2012 conference and exhibition, taking place 12-14 June in Antwerp.
The latest wave of ultra large container vessels (ULCVs) will create challenges not just for those ports expected to handle these mega-vessels, but right across the terminal industry, as larger vessels displaced from main routes cascade down into trades and regions where they have not previously been seen. The increased scale and concentration of shipping activity, combined with burgeoning trade demand in emerging markets, means that ports across the world face new pressures to improve operating efficiencies, increase service reliability and avoid costly congestion that can seriously disrupt international container supply chains.