State grant will facilitate new Supply Chain Information Highway features

A comprehensive Port of Long Beach digital platform being designed to help speed cargo deliveries across the nation, the Supply Chain Information Highway, is getting an infusion of funding from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration.

The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) announced a $7.875 million grant for the Port’s data system today. Funding is expected to help build out a variety of functions including export and rail cargo visibility, user authentication and data security, the exchange of data between foreign ports, truck appointments and a number of future project enhancements that will enhance operational efficiency and customer service.

The Supply Chain Information Highway will enable stakeholders to make scheduling, planning and operational decisions prior to cargo arrival, making the delivery of goods more efficient and cost effective. The cloud-based system is anticipated to be compatible with similar data-sharing platforms across the maritime logistics industry, including at major California ports, supporting improved supply chain resilience, goods movement efficiency, emissions reductions, and economic competitiveness.

“With six marine terminals at the Port of Long Beach now connecting to a beta version of the Supply Chain Information Highway, we’ve entered a crucial phase of development,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “We are grateful to the State of California and GO-Biz for their continued leadership in supporting data modernization to bolster goods movement. This funding will be important as we roll out these new enhancements to increase cargo velocity and tighten coordination across modes of transportation.”

“We’re very excited with how this product – free to registered users – will help the more than 200,000 shippers who use the Port of Long Beach better plan and move cargo,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bobby Olvera Jr. “Thank you to Governor Newsom for his continued recognition of the role the state’s seaports play in enhancing the economy and creating good-paying jobs.”

“California’s ports are an essential link in the global supply chain and this first-of-its-kind, collaborative data system will help ensure they remain so,” said GO-Biz Director and Senior Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom, Dee Dee Myers. “I want to thank Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero and the rest of his team for their leadership and ongoing participation in this effort.”

“As Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Ports and Goods Movement, I believe it is important to strive for innovative enhancements that will support jobs and help ensure the efficient movement of goods in California,” said Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach. “I am pleased to see the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development allocating over $7 million in state funding for the Supply Chain Information Highway digital platform. Given that the Port of Long Beach is part of the ninth-busiest port complex in the world, contributing to 1 in 20 jobs in Southern California and over 2.6 million jobs nationwide, this funding will not only improve goods access for Californians but also support our communities by strengthening our economic landscape.”

“This is a win for both the port and the surrounding communities,” said Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach.  “Data is power. With this investment from GO-Biz we can ensure stakeholders are connecting and coordinating like never before. I’m confident that this will lead to fewer and more efficient trips and reduce unnecessary idling.”

“The Port of Long Beach supports 1 in 5 jobs in this city and millions across the country,” said Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson. “This grant from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development will improve access to cargo information and help speed the movement of goods to American homes and businesses even faster and more efficiently, strengthening the economy not only here in Long Beach and California, but coast-to-coast.”

The Port of Long Beach has partnered with a leading tech firm, St. Louis-based UNCOMN, to create the Supply Chain Information Highway. UNCOMN is collaborating with Amazon Web Services to provide cloud services and cloud hosting for the data.

Development is focusing on three operational platforms in 2024:

• A Container Track and Trace feature to access up-to-date information about the status of containers moving through the Port of Long Beach.
• The Port Operations Dashboard, where users can review Port of Long Beach operational metrics. The dashboard can be viewed at www.polb.com/operations.
• The Beneficial Cargo Owner Dashboard, where BCOs can access more detailed information about their containers including if they have arrived or departed, and which Port terminal they are at.