The Port of Los Angeles and Gothenburg have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate in a wide range of areas including supply chain efficiency and digital technology, ways to improve energy and alternative energy use, “as well as strategies for incorporating new and emerging green technologies to minimize the impact of port operations on local communities and the overall environment.”

The MOU also extends to “the sharing of lessons learned from the Port Optimizer, the data portal developed by the Port of Los Angeles and in use since 2017.” This is an interesting development as the Port of Gothenburg announced in 2020 it would implement the Port Optimizer, which was jointly developed by and is being marketed under a revenue sharing agreement between Wabtec and the Port of Los Angeles.

In 2021 Gothenburg launched the “Track and Trace” app, which is one service available under Port Optimizer, but as far as is known it has not launched any further Port Optimizer functionality. The Port Optimizer has not been a commercial success for Wabtec in the wider market thus far, and some of the key personnel Wabtec brought in to market the product are no longer with the company. However, the MoU suggests it is something that Gothenburg does want to take further.

“Because of the pivotal role that ports play in our global economy, it is imperative that we continue to work together to innovate, modernize and share best practices,” said Port Executive Director Gene Seroka. “This agreement between the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Gothenburg will build on an already strong relationship and like-minded pursuit of excellence in all aspects of port operations.”

“Digitalization and decarbonization are some of the areas where our two ports are frontrunners in Europe and the Americas,” said Port of Gothenburg CEO Elvir Dzanic. “As we both have strong ambitions to keep pushing things forward, we will both benefit by developing and building off of each other’s innovations, ideas and best practices in these and other areas.”