The transformation of Qingdao Port into a fully automated container terminal, driven by digitalization and intelligentization, is bringing about cumulative acceleration and expansion of Qingdao City's economy amid China's modernization drive, according to experts.
At the heart of the terminal's operations is A-TOS, a cutting-edge management system developed by the port's information technology department in Shandong Province, eastern China, which seamlessly integrates and controls all aspects of terminal operations, including scheduling, distribution, and equipment management.
The average loading and unloading rate of the terminal's automated bridge is 36.2 containers per hour.
"It's the first fully automated container terminal in Asia, and the most efficient automated terminal in the world. Qingdao Port now has a Europe route, a route to the Americas, and a route to Japan and South Korea," said Chen Qiang, IT manager at the terminal.
"Qingdao Port, by serving Northeast Asia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries and the surrounding region, has developed into a highly market-oriented and internationalized shipping and trade hub," said Zhang Yansheng, Chief Research Fellow with the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.
"The ongoing development of Qingdao and its orientation towards the marine economy is going to be a feature of modernization, to link traders with finance, with domestic supply chains and production," said Warwick Powell, Adjunct Professor with the Queensland University of Technology.
Qingdao boasts a naturally advantageous port that remains ice-free throughout the year, allowing for uninterrupted, year-round operations and making it an ideal hub for maritime trade and commerce.
"Qingdao has traditionally been a trading center. In the changes taking place at Qingdao Port, I believe the key is digitalization, the internet and intelligentization. This is bringing about the cumulative acceleration and expansion of Qingdao's economy," said Zhang.
Qingdao port revolutionizes operations with cutting-edge automation
