With a view to sharing and spreading the know-how for global terminal operation, Dubai Port World held ‘DPW Operations & Engineering Conference 2014’ at the Conference Room of Grosvenor Hotel in Dubai from Nov. 18 (Tue.) through 20 (Thu.). The conference provided meaningful time in which strategies for DPW operations and engineering and latest trends in terminals were shared with 120 or so invited people, who are engaged in the operations and engineering for DPW terminals in different countries of the world.

The conference was divided into Operation Session, in which participants shared process innovation and trends in technological development through information on container terminal operation and cases of DPW terminals operated globally, and Engineering Session, in which they discussed presentations and plans on equipment management, safety management, and risk management. Also, operations and engineering specialists for DPW terminals in different countries were present at the conference to discuss the future of global DPW terminals. A DPW official said, “This event presents strategies and directions for the development of global DPW terminals and promotes the relationships among those terminals.”

Most of the presentations made at the conference focused on what technology and strategy were needed to respond to the changing terminal business environment. The most impressive part of the conference sessions was “Strategy for the port operators to deal with the challenge of global vessel upsizing” presented by Mr. Zheng, CEO of Qingdao Qianwan Container Terminal. Pointing out that with ship upsizing, terminal equipment and terminal operation methods were undergoing change, he stressed the importance of building highly productive terminals by upgrading operational efficiency.