The Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) hosted a ceremony to mark the signing of a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the company and the national Central Weather Administration (CWA) on September 16th (today) at 11:00 in the Kaohsiung Harbor Museum. The MOU, titled Safeguarding Navigational Safety: Creating State-of-the-Art Smart Ports and Meteorological Capabilities Together, was signed by TIPC President Chin-jung Wang and CWA Administrator Kuo-chen Lu, formalizing the desire of both organizations to integrate highly accurate meteorological data into port operations and disaster response planning, and marking a key new milestone in smart-port infrastructure implementation.
Increasingly extreme weather conditions in recent years have put Taiwan’s international commercial ports at increasing risk of damage from typhoons, torrential rainstorms, and hurricane-force winds and waves. Looking to stay ahead of these and other related threats, TIPC is continually refining its operations and leveraging CWA meteorological observations and forecasting technologies to stay on top of changing meteorological conditions and help subsidiary ports respond to evolving conditions quickly and strategically, facilitating uninterrupted port operations and significantly enhancing navigational safety.
The scope of cooperation in the new TIPC-CWA MOU covers port area microclimate monitoring, meteorological information sharing, sea condition forecasting services, and the installation of systems supporting rapid, accurate decision-making in response to changing meteorological conditions. CWA’s professional data analysis and forecasting capabilities, in combination with TIPC’s highly refined port management systems and mechanisms, are expected to both facilitate the safer navigation of ships in and out of port waters and enhance port rapid-response capabilities to typhoons, torrential rainstorms, and other extreme weather events, moving TIPC further forward toward its goal of “precision disaster prevention, smart operations”.
TIPC Chairman Hsien-yi Lee remarked that increases in the prevalence and strength of severe weather events in recent years represent a significant safety concern in the context of port operations and safety. This, he continued, is a fundamental reason behind TIPC’s desire to integrate CWA’s leading-edge monitoring and forecasting capabilities more deeply into regular port operations. The TIPC-CWA MOU enhances meteorological data sharing, supports port disaster-preparedness decision making, and cooperatively builds out a port-area microclimate monitoring system. Real-time meteorological updates and precision forecasting will help TIPC make optimal decisions with regard to implementing disaster-prevention measures to prevent port service interruptions, further enhance navigational safety and port operational efficiencies, and further solidify the smart foundations of TIPC ports.
Future plans call for growing cooperation between TIPC and CWA in realms such as data integration, technology innovation, and decision-making tools. The gradual development and installation of micro-climate monitoring and disaster-preparedness decision support capabilities at TIPC ports are expected to increase safety as well as overall operational resilience and to create a smarter, more-sustainable model for port operations.
Provided by：Harbor Operation Management Dept., TIPC
Contact Person：Chih-feng Su, Manager
Telephone No.：07-521900 ext. 3310
E-mail Address：T02052@twport.com.tw
Image 1. MOU signatories TIPC President Chin-jung Wang and CWA Administrator Kuo-chen Lu and official witness TIPC Chairman Hsien-yi Lee
Image 2. TIPC Chairman Hsien-yi Lee exchanging gifts with CWA Administrator Kuo-chen Lu
Image 3. TIPC Chairman Lee and President Wang stand with CWA Administrator Lu and Deputy Administrator Hong, marking their future cooperation
