Workshop on AI Powered Automation at Ports
Workshop on AI Powered Automation at Ports
Dates: March 30 – April 1, 2026
Location: DIMACS Center, Busch Campus, Rutgers University
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Organizing Committee:
Fred Roberts, Rutgers University/DIMACS/CCICADA (chair)
Elsayed Elsayed, Rutgers Industrial and Systems Engineering, Rutgers University (co-chair)
Erez Agmoni, Interwoven Ventures
Alok Baveja, Rutgers University
Kostas Bekris, Computer Science, Rutgers University
Aman Goswami, California State, Northridge
Michael Santoro, Santa Clara University and Rottenberg, Lipman, Rich, P.C.
Andrew Tucci, U.S. Coast Guard–retired
Workshop Description
Workshop on AI Powered Automation at Ports sponsored by the DIMACS and CCICADA Centers
The DIMACS and CCICADA Centers at Rutgers University, with funding from the National Science Foundation, will sponsor a workshop March 30 to April 1, 2026 to examine the opportunities and potential risks associated with the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence to enhance the process of automation and its applications to port logistics, supply chains, and increasingly many aspects of port operations.
Ocean carriers, port terminal operators, logistics providers, warehouses, and other supply chain components are exploring ways to combine artificial intelligence and automation. Ports and other supply chain components are under increasing pressure to meet increasing trade volumes while working within fixed geographic footprints and other constraints. The COVID-19 pandemic, low water in the Panama Canal, labor disputes, shifting trade policies and other disruptions have all challenged port operators to meet the needs of businesses and consumers that continue to demand quick, reliable service. AI driven automation presents an opportunity to increase capacity, reduce costs, and potentially bring other benefits.
Ports around the world have been using automation for many years. Common uses include automated vehicles and cranes, drones, sensors, and robotic devices. Automated systems are integrated into terminal operating systems and help meet information sharing objectives with supply chain stakeholders. In the United States, port operators have made more limited use of these technologies, but market forces and the promises of AI are changing that dynamic.
The use of Artificial Intelligence to (literally) drive automation and cargo movement is transforming supply chains. AI can make real-time choices where in the past, automated systems followed carefully scripted protocols. AI-powered automated systems in ports load and unload ships using highly automated cranes, move and track cargo within ports on roadways and rails, record and allow the arrival and departure of cargo to and from ports, reroute cargo to avoid delays, congestion, or bad weather, and look for anomalies that indicate a mechanical problem with a crane or an autonomous vehicle transporting containers between ships and storage areas
While the use of AI driven automation has clear benefits, there are also considerable risks, including potential for new kinds of disruptions, lack of experience in dealing with them, more widespread disruption impacts due to increased networking and integration of components, and the potential for machines creating damage if given increased autonomy to make decisions.
The Workshop is intended to bring together port operations, transportation and warehousing companies, technology providers, the research community, and other stakeholders to identify opportunities and trends, pinpoint risks and outline steps to manage them responsibly. The workshop will explore such questions as:
- What is different about automation in the age of AI?
- What is the role of modeling and simulation?
- What are some obstacles to the implementation of AI-powered automation?
- What are some of the key optimization questions that arise in making ports “smarter”?
- What physical and cyber security measures are needed to protect workers and the public?
- Will systems that are optimized for routine cargo movement be resilient in the face of larger disruptions?
- What are the special risks of increased use of AI in automation in ports and what countermeasures might mitigate impact of new kinds of disruptions?
The workshop will foster a dialogue to address these and other emergent questions. Workshop outputs may include priorities for future research, best practices, and commitments for future information sharing and collaboration.
The workshop will be held in the CoRE Building on the Rutgers University Busch Campus in Piscataway, New Jersey. For more information, send an email to [email protected].
Apply to Participate/Receive Funding
This workshop is by invitation only. If you are interested in participating, send an email to [email protected] explaining why you would like to attend.
This workshop is presented with support from the National Science Foundation under grant number 2539689. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the participant(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Request support: We have limited funds available to support travel by those whose attendance is contingent on support. We encourage diverse and inclusive participation, especially by students and other early-career researchers, and will prioritize applications for support from students and postdocs. Please apply by completing this form.
Applications are due February 1, 2026, but the workshop organizing committee will review applications as they are received and will likely make some decisions before February 1.
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