Seaports around the world are forecast to deploy more than 370,000 automated guided vehicles (AGVs) by 2027 to overcome congestion, according to ABI Research.

The technology intelligence firm expected AGV seaport deployments to have a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 26% from 2022 to 2030.

“Automation improves port operations' reliability, consistency and workplace security,” says ABI Research supply chain management and logistics senior analyst Adhish Luitel.

“Also, from an environmental perspective, automation can lead to efficient operations and faster services.

“Automated ports are also far safer than conventional ports. The number of human-related disruptions falls as performance becomes more predictable with automation and data capture solutions.”

Luitel says other sectors of the supply chain were also turning to automation, with rail inspection robots a particularly growing sector.

More than 29,000 inspection robots were deployed in rail infrastructure globally in 2022, with the number expected to increase to more than 43,000 by 2030.

“Automation in various modalities, despite its benefits, can also bring costs of which supply chain managers might need to be wary,” Luitel says.

“Although automation can streamline workflows and make tasks easier in the long run, they come at the expense of initial potential productivity losses that come with equipping workers with the right skillsets to operate and maintain these solutions.

“So, there is a change management aspect of which managers and authorities must be more mindful.”