Transforming shipping

(Posted June 2022) Global supply chains have become incredibly complex. Consumers buy goods from everywhere. Products and their components tour the world as they are molded, assembled, finished, and packaged in different countries. Huawei works with port operators to create smart logistics that make supply chains more resilient.

Highly automated smart ports keep goods flowing, boost site safety, and mitigate occupational hazards. They are increasingly common worldwide. In China, 5G has enabled the digital transformation of numerous container terminals, including the world’s busiest by tonnage, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port.

Driverless trucks performing standard operations at Ningbo Zhoushan

5G enables the remote controlling of cranes. Instead of sitting alone up in the cabin, bending their waist awkwardly for entire shifts, crane operators can now perform their job seated up straight and looking in front of them. This sharply cuts down on occupational injuries. And on top of that, the bathroom is just down the hall!

At Ningbo-Zhoushan port, automated 5G trucks work alongside traditional human-driven ones. Smart container trucks are a breakthrough in Ningbo port’s digital transformation. They offer a way to address the global driver shortage as well as the danger that fatigue poses. The trucks play an important role in replacing unpleasant, potentially hazardous jobs with unmanned, automated, and intelligent operations.

But see for yourself what a 5G smart port looks like: