eYard, Morpheus Networks, Throughput, and Zainar, have emerged as winners of Gulftainer’s Future of Ports 2021. A news release from Gulftainer states that the event attracted more than 2,000 applicants from over 200 cities, vying to create disruptive technology in the ports and logistics sector. UAE-based Gulftainer, a leading privately held global port operator and 3PL logistics company, recently concluded the global pitch event offering tech start-ups a platform to showcase how their solutions can create a disruptive impact and address current challenges in the industry. Categories included Internet of Things and Robo-Doctors, Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Drones, Big Data and Advanced Analytics, and Blockchain.   ZaiNar is an innovative application that enables real-time 3D location with sub-meter precision designed to transform how ports manage operations and assets. The company is developing next generation wireless radio location tracking technologies for mobile and IoT applications that provide enterprises with data needed to remain competitive. eYard has won the AI category for leveraging the technology to analyse thousands of potential operational scenarios that can create unprecedented levels of efficiency for container terminals. It envisions making ports more competitive and innovative and contributing to shaping a smarter and sustainable global trade following the European Commission Green Deal TCFD / SDG towards a climate-neutral economy. They aim to achieve this by getting rid of unproductive container moves and optimise delivery time and storage space.Throughput, the winner in the Big Data Solutions category, uses existing data to rapidly optimise supply chains and address operational bottlenecks. It seeks to improve business outcomes for port operators and their customers using this powerful new tool. Morpheus Networks, the winner of the blockchain category, offers a SaaS middleware platform that enables trusted and compliant data-sharing across the supply chain, unlocking broad opportunities to improve operational efficiency and customer experience. The platform also provides supply chain managers with a Digital Footprint, making shipment and items visible in an automated, safe, and secure supply chain system, thereby saving time and money. Charles Menkhorst, CEO of Gulftainer, said technology plays a big role in addressing the key challenges in the industry such as lack of tech standards and high cost of legacy systems, while real-time data access and sharing remains a challenge: “Companies that seek to expand their offerings towards end-to-end services using new technologies will gain a competitive edge over the long term. Start-ups can deliver the key solutions that will address simple customer problems in their daily operations, and this is the best way to attract the attention of port operators.” Nikhil Sinha, CEO of Silicon Valley-based OneValley, Gulftainer’s partner in the global pitch, said the Future of Ports provides opportunities to identify start-ups that can transform the future of ports, supply chain and logistics. Image