The Terminal Industry Committee 4.0 (TIC4.0) is calling on global ports and terminals to adopt a new information model aimed at improving interoperability and reducing supply chain costs.
The push follows the official publication of the PAS 4000 specification by the British Standards Institution (BSI).
Sponsored by TIC4.0, the new specification establishes a common semantic framework to harmonize how operational data is structured and exchanged across ports and logistics hubs.
Global trade has long relied on physical technical standards. For example, ISO 668 first issued in 1968 standardized the dimensions of Series 1 freight containers, making global stackability possible. Similarly, ISO 23412 ensures consistency in temperature-controlled land transport.
However, as ports increasingly rely on automation, the industry has hit a digital bottleneck. According to TIC4.0, differing semantic models used by various operators and technology providers have created information silos that severely limit data sharing and operational efficiency.
PAS 4000 is designed to bridge this digital divide. The specification ensures that any process or data related to operational activity in a port or logistics hub is expressed consistently and unambiguously, regardless of the underlying technology.
The standard applies directly to:
- Terminal processes
- Operational information
- Machinery-generated data (including sensors and software outputs).
Anne Hayes, Director of Sectors at BSI, highlighted the importance of this development. “As operations are increasingly digitized, we have the opportunity to further enhance efficiency with a common information structure that can reduce information silos across ports and terminals,” she noted.
Boris Wenzel, President of TIC4.0, called the BSI publication a decisive milestone. “For the first time, we have an internationally recognized and structured framework that consolidates a common digital language, shared definitions, and interoperable foundations for logistics operations,” Wenzel stated.