Multi-aspect applications and development challenges of digital twin-driven management in global smart ports

Digital twin (DT) creates a revolutionary opportunity for the smart ports’ authorities, with the capability of high-fidelity digital representation of real-world things. DT-driven management is able to predict potential risk, it is considered to be a key integration involves transport and operation related with smart port supply chains. This paper presents DT information visualizations & outcome loop of global smart ports’ management, and core technique towards smart ports’ processes based on DT-driven management. A systematic framework of DT-based model for smart port's management is presented, which can be categorized into physical layer, data layer, model layer, service layer and application layer. Decision-makers engage in operational management through the DT-based models and platform. To illustrate DT mechanism, multi-aspect functional applications of DT-driven management are discussed, including cargo handling and transportation, containers operation and storage, data communication and sharing, risk prediction, and environmental protection in global smart ports. Meanwhile, this paper proposes concerned challenges of DT-driven management integrated with optimized cross-platform in smart ports’ processes, to indicate there are barriers ahead to get to an ideal visual-based management system. Current challenges help decision-makers to determine where to find a proper strategy to win, in the future, DT visual applications can be extended in several directions of global port industry. This work contributes to address a comprehensive overview of DT managing capabilities together with details of necessary architecture to support effective simulations in virtual port's space. It provides DT-driven platform will enable better management across the smart port activities from design to transport to operation and sustainment of innovative plan.