Intelligent Retrofitting of Brownfield Ports: An Operational Evaluation Framework and Empirical Study

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-721-7_12How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Brownfield Ports; Intelligent Retrofitting; Operational Status; Evaluation System; Entropy Weight–TOPSIS Method

Abstract

With the accelerated intelligent transformation of global port, the low-cost and high-efficiency intelligent upgrading of brownfield ports, which account for more than 98% of ports worldwide, has become the core pathway for industry development. However, current research indicates that most brownfield port evaluation systems focus on overall development performance and lack dedicated, systematic tools for assessing the specific operational status of intelligent retrofitting. To address this gap, this study systematically reviewed evaluation practices from ports as well as related sectors such as highways, railways, airports, logistics parks, and production workshops to extract cross-industry transferable key elements. Based on these insights, a comprehensive evaluation system for the operational status of intelligent retrofitting in brownfield ports was established, encompassing five critical dimensions: operational benefits, production efficiency, operation and maintenance, intelligent decision-making, and low-carbon environmental performance. These dimensions comprise ten secondary indicators, including vessel time in port, real-time data collection rate, and automated equipment proportions, providing a multi-faceted view of port intelligence. An empirical analysis was conducted using a port in northern China as a case study. By applying the entropy weight–TOPSIS method, the scientific robustness and practical applicability of the proposed system were verified. The weights derived from the entropy method highlighted cargo throughput as a foundational metric, while the TOPSIS ranking identified clear echelons of intelligent development among subordinate port areas. The results provide essential theoretical support and practical guidance for top-level design, priority identification, and effectiveness evaluation of intelligent retrofitting in brownfield ports, offering a standardized framework to facilitate the global transition toward smarter maritime logistics.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Chong Li
AU  - Qingyun Xu
AU  - Yuqi Liu
AU  - Bin Zhong
AU  - Bohong Tong
AU  - He Xu
AU  - Zhenghang He
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/06
TI  - Intelligent Retrofitting of Brownfield Ports: An Operational Evaluation Framework and Empirical Study
BT  - Proceedings of the 2026 6th International Conference on Public Management and Intelligent Society (PMIS 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 120
EP  - 132
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-721-7_12
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-721-7_12
ID  - Li2026
ER  -