2026 Port of the Future Conference

The weak state of the U.S. maritime industry risks National Security in five major ways: significant shortfall of military support vessels from the commercial fleet; wasteful government support programs creating “Zombie assets”; significant foreign ownership of the U.S. maritime sector; growing vulnerabilities from emerging technologies; and the rise of China as a maritime power.

A small and weak U.S. commercial maritime industry weakens U.S. Economic Security through: threats to the U.S. dollar dominated international trade; loss of critical influence over commercial shipping – a critical node in global trade; the same loss in influence over shipping can serve as a catalyst for an inflationary crisis; growing foreign influence over U.S. critical infrastructure sectors; and an estimated $6 trillion missed Blue Economy opportunities.

A small and weak maritime sector represents significant risks for U.S. energy and food security given the particular requirements of moving energy and food in specially adapted vessels (primarily tankers and bulk carriers). This panel discussion focuses on the key points of: lack of consensus over U.S. energy mix; shortage of U.S.-controlled vessels risks U.S. Energy and Food Security; vulnerability to foreign ownership of key food security assets; weak U.S. leadership over future fuels in shipping; and the risk created by a small U.S. fleet for a rules-based international order for energy and food security.

The shipping industry is at the mercy of a changing ocean and is an important driver of environmental change. Without a strong U.S. commercial fleet, the transition to less harmful shipping operations is likely to be slower at the very time when the pace of change needs to accelerate to avoid irreversible planetary tipping points. A strong U.S. maritime industry is a powerful catalyst for change.

There is no U.S. maritime industry without U.S. mariners – both a shoreside workforce and on vessels. The shortage of U.S. mariners presents a major threat to U.S. security. This presentation fosters a discussion on minimal needs (vessels and credentialed U.S. mariners) during peace, during war and in the “Future Competitive Fleet.”

ZeroPointFour offers a 57-Point U.S. Maritime National Action Plan intended to spur discussion, transform the U.,S. maritime industry and form the basis of a National Maritime and Blue Economy strategy to guide decision-making across all key agencies that touch the ocean. These points are intended as a beginning – not a limit to dialogue and actions to that end. This session is intended as an open discussion, engaging participants to voice recommendations and challenges to improve the status of the U.S. maritime sector.

The Louisiana International Terminal project is a significant public-private investment of $1.8 billion, with construction expected to begin in 2025 and an anticipated opening in 2028. This project aims to enhance the supply chain for container shipments on the Mississippi River and its tributaries, potentially creating over 17,000 new jobs statewide by 2050. The terminal will be located in Violet, Louisiana, and will serve vessels of all sizes, dramatically increasing Louisiana’s import and export capacity. The project is designed to leverage extensive transportation connectivity, including interstate systems and railroads, to facilitate efficient logistics. The terminal is expected to handle between 180,000 to 280,000 containers in its first year of operation. Additionally, the project incorporates sustainability measures and community input into its design.

All along the entire U.S. inland waterway system, locks and dams continue to operate well past their projected service life. The poor structural conditions impact the ability for river commerce to flow seamlessly. The United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) will rebuild the Montgomery Locks, one part of a bigger picture project on the Upper Ohio River outside of Pittsburgh, to ensure that three key lock and dam critical infrastructure facilities remain viable to facilitate critical tow and barge traffic. The facilities in focus include: Emsworth (placed in service 1922); Dashields (placed in service 1929); and Montgomery (placed in service 1936).

Recapitalization includes replacement of the 56-ft. wide by 360-ft. long auxiliary lock chambers with new 110-ft. by 600-ft. lock chambers at Emsworth, Dashields, and Montgomery Locks and Dams; a project that is projected to return more than $150 million of average annual benefits to the region and the nation. Cumulatively, these three lock facilities facilitate more than 16 million tons of bulk cargo annually – the majority of which (9 million tons) being coal which is vital to the energy and industrial needs feeding the region and country.

Galveston LNG Bunker Port (GLBP) is a joint venture by Pilot LNG and Seapath Group to develop, own and operate the first small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility on the U.S. Gulf Coast dedicated to serving the growing clean-energy marine fuels market. Texas City GLBP will supply LNG by fuel barge to the rapidly expanding fleet of LNG-fueled vessels in the greater Houston-Galveston region. It is optimally located to serve major ports, including Port Houston, the Port of Galveston and the Port of Texas City.

Colombia’s National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) has granted a 30-year port contract to Puerto Solo, a subsidiary of SeaOne Holdings. Located in the inner bay of Buenaventura, Colombia, the Puerto Solo multi-use energy port project is the largest permitted Pacific Coast energy hub and multi-use port development in the region. It will be the region’s largest energy hub and multipurpose port development on the Pacific coast.

The Puerto Solo Energy Hub port complex is intended to facilitate international trade by receiving and delivering imported natural gas to the Pacific region of Colombia, providing storage and pipeline infrastructure to store and deliver 1.8 million barrels of fuel to the Colombian market. The project represents a pivotal advancement in material handling technology at Sparrows Point. The new system incorporates high-capacity conveyors and hoppers, equipped with variable speed control and washdown functionality, allowing for seamless handling of diverse materials.

Glīders operate autonomously on private rail networks, bypassing the complexities of public road regulations while maintaining cutting-edge safety standards. By seamlessly transitioning between road and rail, Glīders eliminate bottlenecks at congested ports and yards, revolutionizing freight transportation speed. This rail-based solution reduces road congestion and accidents while meeting the highest safety standards set by rail authorities. Fully electric Glīders deliver superior range and efficiency compared to traditional diesel trucks, dramatically reducing operational costs and environmental impact.

Heavy-duty commercial drones are specialized unmanned aerial vehicles designed to carry substantial payloads, ranging from 10 pounds to over 500 pounds, making them essential for various industries such as logistics, construction, and agriculture.

Future heavy-duty commercial drones may rival truck and rail in inter-modal connectivity from ports – the future is closer than you think. This panel discusses current heavy-duty commercial drones and advances on the horizon.

A man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack is a cyberattack in which a hacker steals sensitive information by eavesdropping on communications between two online targets such as a user and a web application. Increasingly, MITM has become a very real threat to intermodal connectivity between sea, rail, and truck transport in the port eco-system.

Matan Companies and Rockefeller Group have formed a joint venture partnership to develop Port 460 Logistics Center, a 5 million square foot industrial development on over 500 acres in Suffolk, VA near the Port of Virginia. The property is zoned M-2 Heavy Industrial and is Foreign Trade Zone 20 Enabled.

Port 460 is advantageously located at the touchpoint of the world-class logistics and distribution infrastructure of the Hampton Roads MSA. Situated directly on US-460, the Project has seamless access to the entire Norfolk region as well as I-85 and I-95, offering extensive connectivity to the major metropolitan areas of the Eastern Seaboard.

The Government Accountability Office issued a report to Congressional Committees in March 2024 on “Port Infrastructure: U.S. Ports Have Adopted Some Automation Technologies and Report Varied Effects.” Representatives from the GAO will speak on the report’s research process, findings, and recommendations.

U.S. ports’ ability to efficiently move containers into and out of terminals is crucial for the U.S. economy. In 2020, coastal ports handled cargo that accounted for nearly half of U.S. trade. Faced with increased container volumes and supply chain challenges, some ports in the U.S. and abroad have adopted automation technologies to improve performance and increase capacity.

The application of modern technology is a crucial means to enhance port logistics efficiency. Introducing automated handling equipment can significantly reduce manual operations, minimize human errors, and improve operational efficiency. Simultaneously, establishing a comprehensive port information system that enables real-time sharing and dynamic management of information on cargo, vessels, and transport vehicles can enhance the accuracy and efficiency of port operations. Use of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology allows real-time monitoring of equipment status in the port, preventing failures, and ensuring efficient port operations.

Adopting electronic bills of lading (eBLs) can transform trade by streamlining processes, improving security, reducing environmental impact and promoting sustainable trade practices. Estimates show that replacing all paper-based bills of lading would save an estimated $6.5 billion in direct transaction costs with the capacity to facilitate up to $40 billion in global trade.

The container industry currently operates at 5 percent eBLs and has committed to operating at 100 percent by 2030. This will be a massive transformation in just a 5-year period. This transformation will also require standardization of maritime terms, and IMO initiative, to create a common global maritime language.

This panel discusses how businesses and ports can best prepare for the digital transition from paper-based to eBLs.

Explore how global port authorities and terminal operators are leveraging digital infrastructure—particularly managed private 5G and LTE networks—to transform operations. The discussion would highlight real-world case studies from U.S. and international ports, demonstrating how ultra-low-latency connectivity enables secure automation, advanced cargo visibility, seamless data exchange with shipping lines, and compliance with evolving security and environmental mandates.

The session is designed as both visionary and practical: looking at the role of digital ecosystems in supporting energy transition, physical and cybersecurity, automation, and smart logistics while grounding the conversation in measurable benefits like reduced downtime, higher throughput, and improved worker safety. Through a blend of technology insights and operational storytelling, the presentation would position ports not just as gateways for goods, but as next-generation innovation hubs, ready to meet global trade demands with resilience and efficiency.

Port operations run on precision, and access to weather data and forecasts are a critical piece of that puzzle. While techniques for weather data have expanded in recent years with higher-resolution numerical prediction models, satellite deployments, and on-ship weather monitoring, there are critical gaps in legacy weather models and weather apps. As ports push for greater efficiency, sustainability, and safety, outdated forecasting models are no longer good enough.

Economic losses from storm-related port disruptions have been in the 10s of millions USD per day and the negative impacts on port operations from inaccurate forecasts can be measured in millions of dollars in lost efficiency per year. MarineLabs’ coastal intelligence helps mitigate hundreds of those occurrences per year. Through deployment of scalable real-time sensor nodes combined with AI, MarineLabs’ hyper-localized metocean forecasting correctly predicts up to 23% more port operation work shifts that could be impacted by weather and cause operational downtime. Optimizing and streamlining operations makes ports more efficient, keeping global supply chains moving and contributing to economic growth.

In this session, Dr. Scott Beatty will showcase a side-by-side comparison of Forecast AI against traditional models currently used in port operations and discuss how real-time weather data and hyper-local AI-driven forecasting is actively helping ports and maritime operators reduce chances of accidents and improve efficiency, which also leads to GHG reductions. Attendees will walk away with a clear, quantified picture of how access to real-time coastal weather data and hyper-local AI metocean forecasts can reduce downtime, minimize supply chain disruption, reduce fuel usage, improve safety, and save on costs.

Intelligent Infrastructure Economic Zones are the Business Model and Investment Foundation. Characteristics: Intelligence Infrastructure Economic Zones may be centered around ports and include: Resilient Electrical Grids (Edge sensors, switches, digital transformers, inverters); Broadband for All (Fiber, 5G, 6G, 7G, WiFi, Public Safety); Intelligent Transportation (Lidars, Radars, cameras, DSRC); Data Exchanges (Processing, Security, Privacy); Edge Computing (Sensor processing, Spatial Computing, environmental sensors, RF monitoring); Terrestrial GPS (UltraWideband, DGNSS, DT); 21st-Century Data Economy; and more. Port officials who clearly understand the challenges and opportunities presented in IIEZ can significantly increase their operational effectiveness and financial revenue.

In recent months, a significant number of large corporations, ship carriers, transport companies and major solution providers have quietly backed out of commitments made to achieve a Zero Carbon Footprint. Achieving ”Net-Zero” is found to be expensive and difficult. While over five hundred companies worldwide pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, only 4 percent are on track to achieve these goals. This presentation addresses the reasons for this Zero-Emission rollback – what went right and what went wrong with the Net-Zero initiative.

The adoption of hybrid vessel technology is gaining traction in the maritime industry due to its ability to reduce emissions, lower fuel costs, and enhance operational performance. Hybrid systems combine conventional diesel engines with battery power, reducing fuel consumption and operating emissions. These systems are being used in various vessel types, including RoRo and RoPax ferries, tugs, research vessels, and other special-purpose ships. The trend includes advancements in battery technology, increased use of fuel cells, and retrofits of existing ships.

Hybrid electric power systems allow for lower horsepower options and more compact engines, providing OEMs and vessel owners with an array of options to optimize their fuel or power choice based on energy preference and fuel availability.

Wind propulsion in modern cargo vessels is not necessarily emblematic of a by-gone age. Wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) are increasingly being used by ship operators to reduce power demand by 20% and up to 60% with route optimization, reduce fuel consumption, meet energy efficiency regulations and minimize carbon emissions. Panel members discuss new designs and advances in wind propulsion technology enhanced by Artificial Intelligence.

Propane improves air quality at our nation’s ports while reliably supporting global trade logistics. Propane refueling infrastructure is affordable, scalable, and readily available for the nation’s alternative fuel corridors. Propane keeps ports running by powering backup generators and prime power for cold ironing, charging, and other large industrial applications. Propane can be used to power port tractors, forklifts, soon reach stackers, empty container handlers, and rubber-tired gantry cranes.

Amid decarbonization efforts, the demand for LNG as a marine fuel has grown significantly. The lifespan for LNG is likely to be longer than anticipated. However, LNG bunkering infrastructure lags in ports. This gap is expected to grow, not abate in the next five years.

LNG bunkering infrastructure can impact port competitiveness, measured as a port choice probability.

The panel discusses challenges and possible solutions to the LNG expansion both in port and on-board vessels, with an eye to yard space, safety considerations, redundancy measures, backup systems, training, and shore power expansion for bunkering vessels.

North America’s first Living Seawalls habitat panels were installed by the Stone Living Lab at two locations on Boston Harbor this fall. The panels are specially designed to create habitat for marine life to flourish on what would otherwise be inhospitable flood barriers.

Living Seawalls is a flagship program of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science. Its habitat panels, designed to mimic natural formations like rock pools and mangrove roots, can be fitted to new or existing sea defenses like seawalls or levees. The project is a collaboration between creative designers and marine ecologists. As a result, life has found its way back to the Sydney shorelines. Sea defenses fitted with habitat panels have 36% more marine life after just two years, with further increases expected through time. Up to 115 species of invertebrates and seaweed, as well as tens of species of fish thrive among the panels.

Ports are high-value targets for cyberattacks because of critical infrastructure with complex, interconnected systems, sensitive data, and high disruption potential. Unlike ordinary businesses, ports cannot afford downtime — making port systems more likely to be targeted.

The Port of Pascagoula has been singularly successful in establishing a clear roadmap for security port infrastructure. This case study examines Port Pascagoula’s proactive approach which maximized use of federal resources, tailored assessments, and best practices. Port Pascagoula established a cost-effective cybersecurity program in alignment with NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework. It established realistic goals to improve its security posture, while positioning itself to meet new cybersecurity regulations for the Marine Transportation System. It effectively improved its cyber resilience without incurring significant financial burden.

As the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) implements new cybersecurity regulations for the Maritime Transportation System (MTS), port leadership faces a critical juncture in safeguarding operational technology (OT), information technology (IT), and supply chain systems against evolving cyber threats. This panel will explore the strategic implications of the new MTS Cyber Regulations, offering actionable insights for port executives, facility security officers (FSOs), and IT leaders.

Key topics will include understanding the rapidly evolving threat landscape, aligning cybersecurity programs to meet regulatory requirements, and integrating risk-based approaches into port operations. The discussion will also focus on the importance of aligning to national and international frameworks, ensuring a consistent and comprehensive approach to managing cyber risks in the maritime sector. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how to balance compliance with operational efficiency while fostering a culture of cyber resilience across the maritime industry.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection partnered with Brand USA to do Global Entry mobile enrollments in Japan and South Korea as part of Brand USA’s sales missions in Asia. The goal is “to implement a continuous flow of travelers to the greatest extent possible while maintaining the integrity of the CBP inspection process. By processing travelers on the move and without the need to stop, while properly segmenting travelers, CBP’s objective is to reduce processing times, improve the traveler experience, and increase throughput.”

USCBP has processed over 576 million travelers using facial biometrics for identity verification at air, land, and sea and captured 2,059 impostors who tried to fraudulently enter the United States

The Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) is a global business network working towards the vision of a maritime industry free of corruption that enables fair trade to the benefit of society at large. Established in 2011 by a small group of committed maritime companies, MACN has grown to include over 220 companies globally and has become one of the pre-eminent examples of collective action to tackle corruption.

MACN and its members work towards the elimination of all forms of maritime corruption by: raising awareness of the challenges faced; implementing the MACN Anti-Corruption Principles and co-developing and sharing best practices; collaborating with governments, non-governmental organizations, and civil society to identify and mitigate the root causes of corruption; and creating a culture of integrity within the maritime community.

In today’s digital threat landscape, cyber extortion incidents are escalating in frequency and complexity. This session offers a behind-the-scenes look into the high-stakes world of ransomware negotiations. Drawing from real-world experience handling threat actor communications, participants will explore tactical, psychological, and strategic approaches to drive favorable outcomes—often under immense pressure and within legal constraints.

Through the lens of crisis response, attendees will gain actionable insights on how seasoned negotiators engage with threat actors while preserving organizational integrity, managing regulatory risks, and aligning responses with evolving threat intelligence. This session demystifies common misconceptions, presents negotiation archetypes, and highlights lessons learned from the trenches to build confidence and competence in future incident response engagements.

The maritime coastal security of the United States poses a significant challenge due to the vastness of its coastline and the complexity of its maritime borders. With approximately 95,000 miles of coastline, 360 ports, and 3.4 million square miles of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), securing the country’s maritime borders presents a formidable task. The coastline along the Great Lakes adds an additional 4,530 miles, and the country shares maritime borders with Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. This panel will explore how highly relevant and rapid Research and Development can close capability gaps, related domain awareness, law enforcement, search and rescue, environment protection.

The U.S Army Corps of Engineers provides an overview of recent notable dredging operations replete and case studies highlighting innovation, introduction of specialized equipment, and advancements impacting project design and operations.

Sludge accumulation is a natural process impacting port operations and efficiencies, degrading the lifespan of port infrastructure, and limiting access by cargo vessels over time.

Presenters provide an in-depth discussion on advanced bathymetric survey technologies to obtain accurate and actionable data, laying the groundwork for effective tailored solutions. They will further discuss upgrades to hydraulic dredging services that provide systematic and environmentally responsible solutions to sludge accumulation in ports, harbors, and channels. The data collected is used to develop a research-based maintenance plan tailored to address the specific needs and challenges of each port – while ensuring the long-term sustainability of port infrastructure.

A panel introduces the latest in equipment and systems used in surveying and dredging operations. The discussion includes the use of surface and sub-surface equipment and Unmanned Aerial Systems in dredging operations.

A panel discussion of environmental considerations and environmentally responsible equipment, solutions and techniques used to lessen the impact of dredging on the harbor, port, and channel eco-systems.