On January 28, 2016, a seminar on the development of the Polish Port Community System (PCS) was held at the headquarters of the Maritime Office in Szczecin, organized by the Institute of Logistics and Warehousing as part of the meetings of the Polish Logistics Technology Platform. The meeting was an opportunity for further discussion regarding the need to integrate information systems used and developed by partners in port and border trade (public administration bodies, enterprises) and to define joint actions for building a Polish PCS.
The meeting was attended by, among others, representatives of the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, Maritime Offices, the Customs Service, the Border Guard, the Port Authorities of Szczecin and Świnoujście, Gdańsk, and Gdynia, container and ferry terminals from Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Świnoujście, shipping lines, and many representatives of logistics companies providing services to the maritime economy.
During the seminar, participants familiarized themselves with IT systems for port and border trade operations functioning in Europe. The vision for the operation of the Polish Port Community System was presented by Bogusław Śliwczyński from the Institute of Logistics and Warehousing. As part of his presentation, he proposed a PCS architecture and a plan for further actions. Among other things, a proposal was presented to establish a PCS forum and conduct consultations on the creation of a Polish PCS with the Ministries of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, Digital Affairs, and Development.
– The future of Polish seaports depends on meeting global standards of cooperation (including processes, procedures, information exchange, and communication rules) with other ports in the world, including those in the Baltic Sea. One of the key elements in achieving a competitive advantage for Polish ports is building a national Port Community System that integrates areas of maritime service, trade, customs clearance and other border services, administration, transport, and logistics in ports and inland – summarized Bogusław Śliwczyński.
The final element of the seminar was a discussion on defining specific actions aimed at building a Polish Port Community System. The seminar participants unanimously agreed that the involvement of government administration representatives is essential. Opinions were expressed regarding a PCS business model that takes into account public-private partnership. During the discussion, the topic of the PCS platform operator was also raised, and it was suggested that this role be entrusted to an independent organization.
