Exploring the Impact of Different Port Governances on Smart Port Development Strategy in Taiwan and Spain

Abstract

With the rapid development of new technologies, such as automation, big data, and artificial intelligence, a port that utilizes these technologies can significantly improve its operational efficiency and make it economically more competitive. Despite its increasing importance, there is no standard definition of a smart port, resulting in each country having its own smart port development strategy. In this study, we explore how varied port governance of port authorities may impact the smart port development strategy. First, we established a set of evaluation criteria, using the Borda count and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, to obtain the key indicators for the development of smart ports in Taiwan. Then, we compared the preferred indicators of Taiwan’s smart port development strategy with those of Spanish ports. An obvious difference in this ranking comparison is found. This indicates that Taiwan’s strategy focuses on optimizing maritime safety, while Spain’s strategy focuses on improving operational economics. Finally, we analyzed the differences between the smart port development strategies of these two countries using the latest port governance classification table. The results of the above analysis are also verified by comparing the differences in port legislation between them. It turns out that the private sector is deeply involved in the operation of ports in Taiwan compared with Spain. Our main contribution lies in providing a clear pathway for developing a smart port in Taiwan in the future and investigating the reasons for different smart port development strategies in different countries.