Insight from TOC Americas: Resilient Operations for Expanding Markets
Digital twins are transforming how ports and container terminals operate. The technology is unlocking new ways for facilities to become more efficient and providing operators with a clearer view of increasingly complex logistical systems.
Digital twins are proving to be a key driver of effective operations, providing users not just with data, but with actionable insights that would previously have gone unseen.
Alongside this, Latin America’s port landscape is expanding quickly, with countries like Brazil, Colombia, and Panama among the highest for year-on-year container growth in 2024, with Brazil up 19.6%. We’ve also seen Chancay Port in Peru come into operation, and Brazil’s STS 10 and Chile’s Puerto Exterior de San Antonio on the horizon.
But progress in the region isn’t without obstacles. Drought at the Panama Canal in 2023 caused major rerouting of maritime traffic. Economic strain in Argentina and drought in the Paraná River—critical for inland container transport—resulted in a container traffic decline of -29.5%, exposing how quickly established trade patterns can shift.
Even as growth rebounds, the mix of rapid expansion and episodic disruption is redefining the needs of the industry landscape. Ports and terminals that can read conditions early and adapt in real-time will be best positioned to capture periods of growth, and best prepared for potential disruptions.
Digital twin technology’s potential for the industry is clear, but its adoption across the Americas has been uneven. Many operators remain cautious, questioning whether their existing digital infrastructure is robust enough to handle the vast quantities of data that digital twins depend on. Others point to the urgent need for stronger cybersecurity measures to protect these new, advanced systems from emerging threats. Along with these concerns, a common question among many in the industry is: how will digital twin technology shape the industry’s future operations?
These are the questions that will define the next stage of digital transformation for ports in the Americas, with real-world examples being central to this discussion. In San Antonio, Chile, NextPort’s deployment at Hanseatic Global Terminals Latin America demonstrates how digital twins are already helping operators improve visibility and decision-making across their operational landscape. NextPort integrates real-time data from across the terminal and generates alerts when disruptions occur, or even when they are likely to occur in the near future. This includes logistics at quay, yard and gate. With access to advanced disruption notification, as well as detailed data on the disruptions themselves, operators can troubleshoot these problems before they become major issues within the port or terminal. Additionally, NextPort records and learns from historical operational data, which provides the foundation for continuous improvement across the system. For our partners, this technology is revolutionizing the way that ports and terminals operate.
At Hanseatic Global Terminals Latin America, we believe Artificial Intelligence begins with understanding operations. By turning data chaos into intelligent operations, we’re empowering our teams to make faster, smarter decisions grounded in clarity and control.”
— Iván Deosdad, Senior Vice President of Operations, Hanseatic Global Terminals Latin America.
The next step is to further refine the system to filter, prioritize, and summarize these alerts, ensuring that operators receive the most relevant insights first and can focus their attention where it matters most.
TOC Americas 2025 provides an opportunity to move this conversation forward with others in the industry. At its core there is a shared recognition that, if thoughtfully integrated, digital twins can serve as both a driver of efficiency and resilience by positioning ports and terminals for long term growth amidst an evolving landscape. From forecasting demand to managing disruptions, this technology has the power to reshape how terminals operate, but the challenge lies in how quickly industry can put this into practice.
