Efficient, secure and green future scenarios: An application of foresight methodologies on seaports digitalisation

The relentless progression of digitalisation permeates every sector, including maritime and transport industries. This study explores the digitalisation landscape expected to evolve over the next decade, with a particular focus on its impact on ports. Employing a combination of Delphi and Roadmapping analyses, it seeks to identify the most probable, impactful, and desirable scenarios. The findings give insight on two principal aspects: they identify the digitalisation trends most related and impactful to future ports, and they provide guidance on which technologies to prioritise, also providing their phased implementation to achieve specific scenarios over time. The research is structured around three alternative scenarios: efficiency-driven, security-oriented, and green-centric, each with distinct implications for port development and management.