Port Saint John has a vision for its future.
During a presentation to Saint John’s common council on Monday, President and CEO Craig Estabrooks mentioned three ways that will help the port for years to come.
“Port digitization and having an IT strategy, you can’t be a thriving modern port without leveraging data as an asset.”
“We want to understand every piece of knowledge as we can as a port, so when we go out to the shipping line and other partners that we have here that the value proposition is based on good data, that is the future of ports, and the future of supply chain,” continued Estabrooks.
The next topic was to incorporate proper infrastructure and land-use planning.
“We have already made several major investments into our port, but we are only at the beginning of our journey,” said Estrabrooks.
In terms of land-use planning, Estrabrooks mentioned the authority needs better transitions between port and community.
“We need better green spaces between the port and the community … thriving port cities around the world do a great job at this, and we can do the same.”
Finally, there needs to be more focus on port-wide decarbonization.
“For the port authority, we have the opportunity to decarbonize … we can look at our carbon dioxide emissions and the impact we have on the community, but we have to think bigger.”
“We must look at the global supply chain, we have to look at rail and road, and everything that contributes to climate change, but as a port, we want to be a driver of that conversation,” mentioned Estrabrooks.
He added to decarbonize, Port Saint John will work with all of its partners, including operators, cruise lines, and shipping lines.
