The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) details an agreement among the five ports “to jointly advance computerized and cloud-based data interoperability with a common goal of supporting improved freight system resilience, goods movement efficiency, emissions reduction, and economic competitiveness,” according to a news release.
The funds will come from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) under the state Budget Act of 2022. The five ports in the partnership are in Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, Oakland and Port Hueneme. The term of the MOU is three years unless all participants agree to extend it.
“Sharing vital shipping data will reduce delays and aid the entire goods movement industry from the docks to doorsteps,” Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero said in the news release. “By working together, California’s ports can enable end-to-end visibility and connectivity across the supply chain.”
Danny Wan, executive director of the Port of Oakland, said: “The Port of Oakland is pleased to collaborate with our legislative and maritime leaders to improve freight movement using technological innovation. It’s fitting that this digital supply chain solution originates in California, the technology capital of the world.”
The state transportation secretary, Toks Omishakin, also endorsed creation of the partnership.
“This groundbreaking agreement will help develop a world-class data partnership that, coupled with our strategic infrastructure investments, will improve efficiency throughout the supply chain and keep California at the forefront of innovation,” Omishakin said in the news release.
The seven-page MOU says the partnership “will support direct cloud-based port data system development at California’s containerized ports and support emerging data aggregation and analysis to support freight and supply chain efficiency.” No vendors were specified.
California’s 12 ports handle 40 percent of all containerized imports and 30 percent of all containerized exports in the United States.
Terms of the partnership, according to the MOU, include:
- Development of use cases and applications that support operational improvement, efficiency, and emissions reductions;
- Outlining of key alignment points in order to achieve resultant interoperability with other container ports;
- Ensuring equitable access to data for users;
- Identification of data elements and data sources;
- Identification of external entities in the supply chain for data sharing;
- Development of common definitions and standards for identified data elements;
- Ensuring data security and privacy;
- User discovery and stakeholder engagement;
- Identification of public and private funding resources to support port data system development;
- Increasing public and industry awareness on port data system development; and
- Connecting and liaising with other local, state and federal entities of government, private industry partners, and other interested parties to support interoperability and port data system development.
