Digitalisation of Port Platforms: Cross-Perspectives between Africa and Europe

By Afri Esaïe KOUASSI and Laurence DEBAIN,
Logistics and Port Management Experts at Webb Fontaine 

As digital transformation becomes a key driver for improving supply chain performance, ports have emerged as central to competitiveness, security, and the facilitation of trade. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) made a bold move by mandating, as of January 1st, 2024, that all commercial ports implement digital platforms to exchange information and streamline port call procedures. This requirement represents both an opportunity for modernisation and a challenge for many African ports. 

The African Perspective: Opportunities, Challenges, and Best Practices 

For African experts, this digital transition is a unique opportunity to modernise port platforms, enhance operational visibility, secure public revenues, and improve logistics corridor fluidity. Several African ports have taken steps in this direction with promising results: 

• In Benin, interoperability between the customs platform, port system, and the National Single Window has led to a revenue increase of over 30%. 

• In Guinea, the Port of Conakry has implemented a digital system to improve vessel scheduling and logistics coordination. 

• In Côte d’Ivoire, the integration of key stakeholders into a Single Window has digitized documentation and significantly reduced import/export processing times. 

• In Morocco, digitalisation is embodied in PortNet (Casablanca) and Tanger Med’s Port Community System. These interconnected platforms streamline trade, cut processing times, and enhance transparency, positioning Morocco as a continental leader in port modernisation.  

Persistent Challenges 

These advances highlight the importance of port governance that prioritises efficiency, transparency, and collaboration among all stakeholders within the port community. However, significant challenges remain:  

• Limited port infrastructure (berths, handling equipment, storage areas, and internal logistics flow. 

• Technical shortcomings such as unstable internet and power supply. 

• Need for continuous training in digital tools for port and customs staff. 

• Fragmented systems developed in silos, lacking integration and unified productivity vision. 

• Ongoing need to enforce procedures and best practices. 

• High costs of acquiring and maintaining advanced technologies. 

Strategic Approaches 

Given these challenges, it is essential for African Port Authorities to adopt more ambitious strategies aimed at acquiring tailor-made solutions that are adapted to their specific context and capable of delivering measurable productivity gains. Support from Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to access sustainable technological solutions compliant with IMO standards and including effective skills transfer could be a credible pathway. This proven approach demonstrates that when projects are driven by a strong political vision, backed by a clear legal framework and well-selected partnerships, the results are tangible, as seen in Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and elsewhere. 

The European Perspective: Harmonisation and Technological Leadership 

Alongside the digital transformation underway in Africa, Europe is also facing structural challenges in the digitalisation of its port platforms. While ports such as Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, Le Havre, and Barcelona are global benchmarks in logistics innovation, the European Union still needs to harmonise standards and systems among its Member States to establish a truly unified digital port platform. 

The initiative to create a European inter-port platform (EMSWe), led by the European Commission, aims to interconnect national Port Community Systems (PCS) to improve flow management, logistical resilience, and environmental monitoring. It is important to note that ports within the same country often operate on different systems. 

Key Challenges Facing Europe 

This community platform will need to address the following challenges: 

• System interoperability among ports and countries. 

• Real-time data integration and sharing across port authorities, customs, and stakeholders. 

• Cybersecurity for digital windows and users. 

• Intense competition among ports. 

• Expanding use of AI and IoT technologies.  

Collaborative Digital Culture, Infrastructure and Integration 

While some European seaports currently collaborate and exchange electronic data, the absence of a unified platform hinders effective cooperation, information sharing, and data utilisation. Europe must also invest in co-creation with users, process standardisation, and the adoption of a shared digital culture within port communities. 

The European Union will have to navigate a complex maritime infrastructure, involving numerous stakeholders and diverse IT systems, in order to successfully deploy a unified platform that ensures the secure use of European maritime data—ultimately transforming port operations. 

Successfully deploying a unified platform requires the EU to navigate a complex maritime landscape with multiple systems and stakeholders, ensuring secure and strategic use of maritime data to revolutionise port operations. 

Cross Perspectives 

It is important to highlight that the multiplicity of digital platforms within a single country—an issue observed in several European states—represents a real challenge for interoperability, trade fluidity, and logistics governance.  

In comparison, several African countries have made the strategic choice of a single national platform, which is more efficient and better suited to the needs of port communities. This centralised approach enables better coordination among stakeholders and optimised management of information flows. 

In conclusion, whether in one or the other of the two continents, it is essential to define a clear digital roadmap for ports, focused on the standardisation of processes at the national and then sub-regional levels. Such an inclusive and coherent strategy will help meet international requirements, enhance the competitiveness of port platforms, and better serve the trade communities. 

https://issuu.com/portsandharbors/docs/ports_harbors_may-june_2025

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Webb Fontaine is revolutionising international trade by empowering governments and communities with technology powered by AI. We offer comprehensive solutions across the trade spectrum, ranging from risk management to customs systems, single window, and beyond. Webb Fontaine is headquartered in Dubai, UAE with a presence across Europe, Middle East, South America, Asia and Africa.