For more than twenty years, Stefano Cangelosi has watched container terminals transform from the inside. As Head of Business Process Management at PSA Italy, he has overseen the migration to next-generation terminal operating systems. He spoke with Maritime Ventures about digitalization, sustainability and the identity of port logistics.
What is PSA’s role in today’s port and logistics ecosystem?
PSA is one of the world’s leading port operators. In Italy, we manage four terminals: three port terminals in Genoa and Venice, and one intermodal terminal in Padua. Through our three port terminals (PSA Genova Pra’, PSA SECH and PSA Venice), one quarter of all containerized import/export cargo bound for or originating from Italy is handled. PSA Padova, apart from the shipping cycle, shares substantially the same operational characteristics as the other terminals.
Our strategy, which we call Node-to-Network, aims to connect individual port nodes into a coordinated network by leveraging digitalization, smart technologies and the energy transition. Today, value no longer lies in the isolated terminal itself, but in the ability to connect terminals with one another and with the wider logistics chain. In this perspective, the port ceases to be merely a transit point and becomes an active, intelligent link in the supply chain.
What are the key transformations reshaping port logistics?
I believe that the real accelerator today is advanced digitalization, supported by ever-increasing computing power and, above all, artificial intelligence. The real revolution is not simply having more technology, but being able to experiment much faster and with significantly lower risk.
A concrete example comes from Tuas, Singapore, where we recently implemented an event-driven architecture that enables instantaneous data exchange between systems, equipment and processes, based on events such as vessel arrivals, container movements and equipment status. In Italy, we led the migration to a new operating system at PSA Genova Pra’, introducing tailor-made solutions designed around the needs of the country’s largest gateway terminal. It was a process that lasted almost two years and involved the commitment and professionalism of dozens of colleagues working on a product that did not previously exist, yet is essential to becoming faster and more reliable.
We are now launching the same transformation project in Venice, with the goal of aligning the terminal with the new-generation TOS by the middle of next year.
How is the role of the port operator evolving in this increasingly connected ecosystem?
The role of the port operator is evolving from managing cargo handling to integrating and orchestrating the entire logistics ecosystem. Digitalization, automation and data sharing enable real-time coordination among ports, vessels, terminals and inland transport, increasing efficiency and resilience.
At the same time, responsibilities related to sustainability, safety and cybersecurity are growing. The operator of the future is therefore increasingly connected, data-driven and capable of managing both physical and digital flows.
This is a more exposed and interconnected role, requiring skills that were not considered central twenty years ago: data analysis, systems integration and complexity management. In this scenario, people become even more critical. While the number of resources required in some departments may decrease, demand increases significantly in others, and above all the value of expertise becomes strategic. Organizations need highly specialized professionals who can not only use these technologies, but also understand which problems should be entrusted to them and which outcomes to pursue.
What opportunities does digitalization offer for terminal operations?
The starting point always remains the same: identifying real needs. This is where managerial capability must emerge. Technology comes afterward. It is the tool that allows us to find the best possible answer to a concrete problem in timeframes that would have been unthinkable only a few years ago.
One of the most promising technologies is the digital twin, which enables a digital representation of the terminal and the simulation of different scenarios before applying them in the real world. Today, we can replicate an operational environment digitally and test thousands of scenarios and possible solutions offline.
We can afford to make mistakes, correct them and try again at virtually no cost, without interfering with terminal operations. In other words, we can make thousands of mistakes in the virtual world to avoid making even one in the real world.
Only after identifying a model that works and genuinely meets our needs do we move it into the production environment. This drastically reduces time, costs, risks and, above all, service disruptions.
Until a few years ago, the process was entirely different. Replicating an environment, testing multiple solutions, identifying the best one, refining it and eventually deploying it required months of work, major investments and extensive human and financial resources, all while potentially affecting operations for prolonged periods.
Today, thanks to computing power, artificial intelligence and simulation tools, many of these activities can be completed in seconds, or at least in dramatically shorter timeframes, using fewer resources.
The second technology we are following with great interest is AI-powered planning, including arrival forecasting, allocation optimization and predictive maintenance. The third opportunity lies in real-time architectures, which enable terminals to react instantly rather than retrospectively.
The common thread across all these innovations is the shift from a port that records what has happened to a port that anticipates what is about to happen.
What role does innovation play in a period of high geopolitical uncertainty?
The fundamental challenge is balancing efficiency, sustainability and resilience.
In recent years, the work of terminal operators has changed significantly. We face peaks and downturns in cargo flows that differ greatly from the past, when vessel management was more predictable and planned. Today, we must be able to respond effectively to these changing market dynamics. A terminal operates 24/7 with extremely limited margins for error, while also needing to absorb unexpected events: a vessel arriving outside its scheduled window, a sudden volume surge or an equipment failure.
Sustainability is crucial because it helps optimize energy consumption, charging cycles and workflows, reducing environmental impact while improving operational performance.
My experience with automation projects has taught me an important lesson: technology that works in a laboratory environment and technology that can sustain real-world operations are not the same thing. The real challenge is not adopting innovation, but making it reliable in production.
How can an operator like PSA connect concrete operational needs with solutions coming from the market?
This is the most delicate point. A large operator has scale, structured processes and stringent reliability requirements. The innovation ecosystem brings speed and experimentation capabilities. For this meeting point to work, everything must start with the ability to articulate real and specific needs, rather than generic ones.
A second essential element is the availability of solutions that understand the operational context of a terminal, where “breaking things and trying again” in production is simply not an option.
The real value emerges when a solution goes beyond the pilot phase and becomes a stable part of operations. That is the moment when we discover whether an innovation was genuinely robust or merely promising.
At the end of the day, however powerful technology may be, it remains a tool. The true competitive advantage comes from the ability to identify the right problem and use technology to find the best solution, before and better than anyone else.