Cisco and PSA advance smart port resilience

Cisco and PSA Singapore (PSA) are teaming up to develop an AI-powered observability and incident management platform at Tuas Port, supporting the terminal’s transformation into a digitally resilient, AI-driven port.

The proof of concept forms part of Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration programme, which supports Singapore’s digitalisation priorities through public- and private-sector partnerships. Tuas Port is currently the world’s largest fully automated container terminal.

“Digital resilience is fundamental to the reliability and efficiency of global supply chains. At PSA, we continually explore new technologies to strengthen operational resilience and deliver service excellence,” said Nelson Quek, regional chief executive, Southeast Asia, PSA International.

He added that the collaboration reflects a shared commitment to innovation in port operations and reinforces Singapore’s position as a trusted global trade hub.

The proposed platform will consolidate real-time performance data from PSA’s applications, infrastructure and network systems into a centralised view. Artificial intelligence will map relationships between services and infrastructure, helping technical teams identify affected systems, diagnose root causes and receive recommendations to resolve incidents in real time.

The initiative aims to reduce unplanned outages and eventually anticipate them before they occur. Disruptions to critical systems, including the terminal operating system, can affect cargo movement, storage, tracking and overall business continuity. Cisco research indicates that the average annual cost of downtime per organisation has reached US$300 million.

The platform will also incorporate cloud-native security capabilities designed to protect critical infrastructure, prevent unauthorised access and flag unusual network traffic.

Cisco ASEAN president Bee Kheng Tay said: “As critical infrastructure becomes more complex, organisations need the ability to see, understand, and act across their entire technology stack in real time.”

The platform will initially be implemented at the Tuas Port Phase 2 Living Lab, where technologies can be tested, validated and refined under real-world conditions. The project builds on PSA’s multi-year digital transformation programme as Tuas Port continues expanding towards full completion in the 2040s.