BUSAN — The Busan Port Authority is teaming up with the world's leading ports to build a "port innovation alliance," marking the 150th anniversary of the port's opening. The plan is to shift the port's role toward leading the digital and green transition and sharing the results with ports around the world.
The Busan Port Authority (BPA) held a "Port CEO Roundtable" in Busan on the 14th and announced the "Busan Port Declaration 2026" together with representatives of major global ports. Chief executives of ports including Hamburg, Los Angeles, Rotterdam, Barcelona, HAROPA and Ningbo-Zhoushan attended, along with senior officials from the ports of Seattle, Long Beach, Singapore and Antwerp-Bruges. Kitack Lim, former secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), also took part.
The declaration centers on the themes of innovation and solidarity. The participating ports agreed to use digital technology and artificial intelligence to detect supply chain risks early and to link digital platforms across ports to strengthen crisis response.
The transition to carbon neutrality was also presented as a shared task. The ports agreed to step up cooperation on expanding the use of clean marine fuels and building energy self-sufficient ports, and to share the technology and experience accumulated in port operations. The aim is to pursue the digital and green transitions at the same time, improving both the sustainability of ports and the resilience of supply chains.
The declaration placed particular emphasis on not confining the benefits of innovation to a handful of leading ports. The participating ports agreed to share technology and operational experience through international bodies such as the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) and the IMO, and to widen the scope of cooperation so that ports at different stages of development and with different infrastructure can also join the digital and green transition.
For Busan Port, the significance lies in extending the meaning of its 150 years beyond past achievements to a model for growth over the next 150 years. As competition in global logistics shifts from rivalry between individual ports to competition over the connectivity and resilience of entire supply chains, the move is seen as an attempt to secure a cooperation network with major ports early and broaden Busan Port's international influence.
"The past 150 years of Busan Port have been a journey of growth in which we learned from the experience of many ports around the world," BPA President Song Sang-keun said. "Going forward, we will lead innovation together with the world's major ports and share the results, helping ports with growth potential develop as well."
