Port modernization requires targeted investment in technology, data-driven supply chains: KPMG report
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Canada’s ports are facing a pivotal moment as the country turns its attention toward trade diversification, infrastructure investment and supply chain resilience, according to a KPMG report for the BC Maritime Employers Association.
The report says recent federal measures to accelerate project approvals and support workforce adaptation are creating conditions that could help ports modernize and expand their role in international trade. Those developments could provide Canadian ports with an opportunity to improve operations, increase capacity and strengthen connections between Canadian exporters and global markets.
"Over the past 16 years, Canada's West Coast ports have increased cargo volumes and workers by over 70%. It is a remarkable story of growth," Mike Leonard, President and CEO, BC Maritime Employers Association said in a press release. "Modernization on B.C.'s waterfront allows us to move more Canadian cargo, investing in the people who move it, and keeps Canada's largest trade gateway competitive. When it is done in collaboration with the workforce, capacity-oriented modernization initiatives can improve safety and reliability while supporting sustained workforce growth and skill development."
The report emphasizes that modernization will require more than traditional infrastructure projects. Targeted investment in technology will be needed to create more integrated and data-driven supply chains.
Among the priorities identified are real-time cargo tracking, predictive analytics and automation. These technologies could help ports better manage vessel schedules, terminal operations and cargo flows, while reducing delays and improving reliability.
The report also highlights the importance of sharing information across the transportation network. Better coordination between ports, terminals and inland transportation providers could improve the movement of goods from their point of arrival to their final destination.
The approach could allow ports to increase their effective capacity without depending entirely on new physical infrastructure. By improving the way existing assets and information are managed, operators could potentially handle more cargo while maintaining service levels, the report says.
The report describes the current situation as “a clear inflection point” for Canada’s ports. Coordinated action and investment, it argues, could help address the country’s competitiveness challenges and reinforce the ports’ role in international trade.
At the same time, the report warns that inaction carries risks as international competitors continue to invest and modernize.
“Failure to act, however, risks continued erosion of market share as global peers accelerate ahead,” the report says.
