IPCSA launches Foresight to boost port community systems

The International Port Community Systems Association (IPCSA) announced the launch of Foresight - an initiative which will consider future scenarios and provide a framework and pathway ahead for port community systems globally.

"Foresight exercises are recognised in many industries as vital elements of future planning. IPCSA is taking the lead in its sector, by creating the first Foresight exercise in support of PCS operators and associated port operations.

"The exercise will bring together IPCSA members and external experts at a series of three regional two-day workshops, to be held over the course of a year. Brainstorming sessions will develop this-could-happen scenarios, their potential impacts and possible responses from the port community systems sector," says an official release from Kale Logistics.

The first 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 release added.

The IPCSA Foresight exercise is being headed up by Uwe Liebschner, Customs Consultant and Customs Lead, IPCSA, working with Inga Morton, General Manager, IPCSA and Will Sambrook, CEO, Akenham, who will act as moderator at the Foresight workshops, the release added.

“The Foresight exercise is about creating/thinking about scenarios and preparing yourself to mitigate the risks,” says Liebschner. “It is not an exercise in concrete planning for the next five years but rather to bring people together with their collective intelligence to take a helicopter view of what might or could happen in the coming years – for example, geopolitical issues, demographic factors, climate change, lack of resources.

“The aim of IPCSA’s Foresight exercise is to consider the possibilities and establish where we see the issues for the future, bring together IPCSA members from all the regions to be involved and integrated in the discussions, and increase communication and personal connections between members. At the end of the exercise, we will establish guidance and recommendations at a very high level, around mitigation and potential solutions. We can’t prepare for 100 percent of potential issues but we can have a broad framework in place to be prepared for future challenges.”

Vineet Malhotra, Co-Founder and Director, Kale adds: “Kale shares a unified vision with IPCSA in transforming the global maritime industry through port community systems and cutting-edge digital solutions. Our collaboration with IPCSA, spanning over five years, has allowed us to bring a unique blend of innovation and automation that drives global maritime trade. By supporting the first Foresight event at Dubai, we aim to amplify the industry’s collective voice and fortify its role in advancing global trade harmonisation. This initiative is critical to shaping a future where streamlined, efficient trade becomes the standard across the industry.”

“With the rapid pace of digitalisation and the urgent need for decarbonisation, the Foresight project brings together key stakeholders who are dedicated to these critical causes, including trade harmonisation and simplification.”

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