OCIANA Completes Key Validation Phase for Its Digital Port Platform

OCIANA announced the successful completion of a key phase of Operational Validation Trials (OVT) for its unified digital platform. The tool enables real-time collaboration among the different stakeholders involved in a port call and aims to improve the efficiency of the global supply chain while reducing vessel emissions and fuel consumption. According to the company, trials will continue alongside project partners at a pace set by each one's operational priorities, as development of the platform progresses.

The trials carried out so far confirmed that shipping operators and port stakeholders can work within a single system, exchanging data in real time and coordinating through a transparent, auditable process, replacing fragmented exchanges via email, phone and spreadsheets. Richard Kolacz, CEO of OCIANA, noted that the validation represents an important step toward offering shipping lines and port stakeholders a single platform integrated with their existing systems, and that development will continue to be guided by partners' operational feedback with the aim of moving toward just-in-time arrivals and reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

The project brought together OCIANA's technology experts with Canada Steamship Lines (CSL), the Montreal Port Authority, the St. Lawrence Pilotage Authority and Clear Seas, under Ocean Supercluster Canada's Core Technology Leadership Program, with the goal of developing core port call planning capabilities.

OCIANA Ports gives port stakeholders a centralized command center for berth scheduling, bringing together booking requests, pre-arrival notifications and change requests, with configurable alerts and real-time dashboards that flag ETA variations before they become problems. OCIANA Ships, refined with feedback from shipping lines, streamlines the workflow for initial and change requests through guided forms, with real-time status tracking and automated alerts. Next steps include a vessel-centered interface for masters and further development of the JIT tool ahead of onboard trials.

The company highlighted that the system provides a single source of information visible to all parties, full traceability of every shipment, confirmation, rejection and change, and a lighter coordination burden by reducing manual calls and emails. Pascal Larin, Vice President of Digital Solutions at CSL, said that contributing the shipping line's operational expertise helped advance just-in-time arrival capabilities that reduce delays, fuel use and emissions. Jean-François Belzile, of the Montreal Port Authority, praised the contribution to a collaborative platform for the entire maritime community, while Paul Blomerus, of Clear Seas, noted that better arrival coordination can reduce unnecessary waiting and anchoring time, with less environmental and social impact.