2. Advanced Simulation Technology in Planning, Implementation, and Operation of Container Terminals to Cope with the Varying Challenges Caused by the Shipping Industry

The container terminal industry is meant to be quite conservative. However, ever faster changes in global container transport (e.g., increasing vessel and package sizes or concentration in the hand of fewer global consortiums) lead to continuously growing productivity and efficiency requirements in recent years. As a result, container terminals have to become more and more flexible to adapt their processes to the changing conditions. Thus, during the last 60 years simulation technology found its way from technical applications to the world of logistics and specific software tools for simulation and emulation have been developed for container terminals. Nowadays, change and innovation processes (e.g., regarding terminal dimensioning and configuration or process and equipment automation) just like daily operations may be accompanied by means of simulation and emulation to secure the efficiency of the operation. A holistic approach of using means of simulation or emulation in the field of planning, implementation, and operation of container terminals is introduced in the following to explain the possible range of application from global to detailed analysis, testing of control systems, new ways of training as well as terminal process optimization and shift and personnel planning. In this respect, it will be emphasized that the terminal operator himself will be enabled to use these technologies as tools without being a simulation specialist.