Ports of Los Angeles and Antwerp host innovation competition

The ports of Los Angeles and Antwerp said today they will host a technology competition in October to find creative solutions to commercial challenges in the areas of data sharing, mobility, sustainability, security, and administrative digitalization.

Port officials will host the annual "hackathon" competition from Oct. 11 to 13 through simultaneous events in the two cities, according to the Port of Los Angeles. The hackathon will be open to teams from various backgrounds and professions—including start-ups, scale-ups, students, and companies—who will submit their ideas to a jury of experts on the event's final day. The winners will qualify to further develop their ideas through a business and academic coaching program.

"Ports must continue to incorporate the latest and most promising technologies in order to remain competitive in today's dynamic global supply chain environment," Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, said in a statement.

The hackathon is an initiative of chainPORT, an organization formed by 12 ports in 2016 with the goal of digitally connecting ports worldwide, sharing best practices for handling the largest containerships in the global fleet, and boosting efficiency within the global maritime supply chain, according to the Port of Los Angeles.

Los Angeles will host the U.S. version of the event at the University of Southern California's USC Marshall Center for Global Supply Chain Management, while the European version is hosted at Belgium's Antwerp Expo exhibition hall.