CHALLENGES surrounding industry decarbonisation, protectionism and technological change were topics at the Australian Maritime Logistics Research Network (AMLRN) 2025 symposium, held this week at the University of Adelaide.
With the theme Sustainable Maritime Supply Chain Opportunities in the Presence of Growing Protectionism, the symposium attracted researchers, port managers and industry professionals from across Australia as well as Singapore, China, Vietnam and Iran.
Researchers from La Trobe University, the University of Adelaide, RMIT, the University of Tasmania and Curtin University ensured the tertiary sector was well represented.
Industry expertise was strongly represented by organisations such as Flinders Ports, the South Australian Freight Council, Superpower Institute, SPINFRA and Victoria International Container Terminal.
Keynote addresses were delivered by Flinders Port general manager Carl Kavina, South Australian Freight Council chief executive Jonathan Wilson and Professor Shuaian (Hans) Wang from Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
A key message was that research needs to provide meaningful industry solutions.
Across seven parallel sessions, the symposium offered a holistic view of how maritime logistics was grappling with decarbonisation, protectionism and technological change.
Sessions on sustainability and decarbonisation and the circular economy and green supply chains examined how this transition is occurring.
Topics ranged from emission-capped pooling agreements and low-carbon port pavements to green slot allocation, shore power under carbon trading and electric vehicle battery recycling models.
These papers highlighted that green maritime logistics was no longer just about cleaner ships, but about redesigning infrastructure, contracts and incentives across entire supply chains.
An important message was that this transition was inseparable from digitalisation and operational excellence.
Port and terminal operation papers addressed efficiency challenges such as truck appointments, container relocation and quay crane scheduling using advanced optimisation and learning techniques.
The smart logistics sessions extended the lens to AI and blockchain platforms, digital adaptability in logistics firms, automation in inter-terminal trucking, earth observation, temporal graph neural networks and digital twins.
Together, they suggest a move from isolated optimisation problems toward more data-driven, connected and anticipatory systems, where ports and logistics networks can sense disruptions and respond in near real time.
At the same time, ‘human’ aspects of the maritime sector were also discussed.
There was also discussion about supporting supply chain sustainability and how food transportation systems can withstand shocks, and how human-centric, scenario-based approaches and multi-stakeholder engagement can help supply chains cope with rising protectionism.
A later session examined core maritime operations into agri-food and broader global supply chains, examining how government procurement, green mandates and digitalisation shape resilience and innovation from China to India and other developing economies.
Overall, the seven sessions revealed an industry that was becoming more integrated.
The research showcased at AMLRN 2025 suggested that future competitive and resilient maritime supply chains would be those that could simultaneously invest in smart technologies, redesign operations and governance, and align incentives for sustainability.
The symposium closed with remarks from Professor Kannan Govindan and AMLRN founder Professor Vinh Thai, who spoke of AMLRN’s vision as a bridge between academia and industry.
Professor Thai announced that the 2026 symposium would be held in Sydney.
This is expected to continue a three-year sequence of events in Australia’s major port cities and signal the network’s growing regional and international ambitions.