Scaling-up 5G adoption in smart ports: barriers and enablers

As the fifth generation of mobile communication technology, 5G is predicted to be a significant focus for investment by the logistics industry in the coming years. One area where it is expected to have a significant impact is ports, enabling further digitization and the development of Smart Ports. The aim of this paper is to investigate the barriers and enablers to 5G adoption, focusing on the UK port industry. Data has been collected from nine senior representatives from the UK port sector as well as two technology providers. Potential use cases are identified, along with barriers and enablers to their adoption. These including building a business case with appropriate use cases, the trade-off between legacy systems and 5G capability, technology maturity, skill development within the workforce, and the role of government in supporting innovation. This work contributes by giving insights into the challenges when introducing 5G within the port environment. Research of 5G applications in logistics currently focuses more on the technological applications rather than the business implications from adoption.