How to Create a Cross-border Port Community by Networking Ports with Each Other: The Experimentation of the EasyLog System

This paper describes the real-world experimentation of an innovative ICT (Information and Communication Technology) integrated system, the socalled EasyLog system, which enables the exchange of operational information in an orderly and secure way between five Tyrrhenian ports. The proposed system, dedicated to ro-ro transport, is highly innovative as it allows a set of ports to exchange operational information in a simple and secure way, also adapting the necessary technological equipment of the gate to the different local needs. The experimentation demonstrated the efficiency of the system in the exchange of embarkation/disembarkation lists between the ports concerned, demonstrating its suitability to share essential information for the purpose of optimizing port operations. The developed system can overcome the barriers that typically hinder the development of ICT solutions shared between ports through a structure that guarantees the autonomy of the individual local systems while ensuring their interconnection through the so-called EasyLog Connector. The lean automation of port gates using smart glasses for augmented reality represents another element of innovation, allowing easy and flexible automation even in poorly digitized ports, or where economic or operational constraints make traditional gate automation complex.