PD Ports has continued its impressive start to 2022, taking home the trophy for the ‘Innovation and Technology’ award at the Teesside heat of the North East Business Awards.
With bold ambitions to make the River Tees the UK’s most successful port region by 2050, PD Ports continues to embrace digitalisation, led by two major initiatives in 2021 that helped the Company to secure its latest accolade.
As Statutory Harbour Authority, PD Ports launched an innovative new website during the last 12 months, aimed directly at promoting the strengths of the River Tees whilst elevating global visibility to international investors – something commended by judges on Thursday evening.
Also praised was the launch of a new Port Community System to improve efficiencies and boost the international competitiveness of Teesport and the River Tees.
The system, which provides users with a single, dynamic source of vital information including live shipping movements and weather data, was launched in partnership with the Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port, and received over 200 active registrations in just four weeks.
Paul Foreman, Chief Technology Officer at PD Ports, was delighted with the recognition.
“People often have misconceived perceptions that the maritime industry is just the same as it was all those years ago when we think of traditional ship yards and dirty, manual jobs but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Paul.
“Nowadays, our industry is fully embracing automation in order to ensure that our supply chains are as resilient as possible to potentially disruptive events, as we have seen recently with the global pandemic. PD Ports really is at the forefront of this drive towards digitalisation.
“As the Statutory Harbour Authority, we know that we need to bring the rest of the river community with us on this journey which is why it is so fantastic to receive this recognition that centres around key projects that benefit the whole River Tees.”
The honour builds on what is shaping up to be another impressive year for PD Ports and brings PD Ports’ total award tally to five in the first half of 2022, demonstrating how the Company continues to build on its track record as it furthers its commitment to customers, sustainability and communities to deliver real levelling up for the region.
