"Innovation in the logistics sector is everything". Interview with Ignacio Ballester of MSC

"Innovation in the logistics sector is everything", interview with Ignacio Ballester of MSC

25/04/2022.

What MSC does

MSC Spain is part of the MSC Group, a group of companies in the maritime sector and a world leader in transport and logistics.

We have 524 offices in 155 countries and call at 500 ports with more than 230 trade routes. Since its founding in 1970, MSC has enabled international trade between the world's leading economies and emerging markets on every continent.

What role does innovation play in your company?

Historically, the shipping industry has not been the first to adapt to new technologies compared to other end-customer focused industries, such as telecommunications, for example.

However, at MSC we have long been able to identify the importance of digitization in the maritime sector and have been one of the drivers of the digital transformation of our industry.

Practically, some of the solutions we are investing in at MSC are about transforming those offline activities that are tedious, time-consuming and costly into more agile and efficient ways of working with our customers. For example, we have been offering solutions such as myMSC, our digital e-commerce platform, for many years, and years before that we had already digitized several internal and external processes.

Last year, MSC officially launched the electronic Bill of Lading (eBL) worldwide. This solution allows all parties involved in a shipment to issue, transfer, endorse and manage the BL electronically through a blockchain-independent platform, without influencing the dynamics of the operation, in a few clicks and in a matter of minutes.

We also strongly believe in Smart Containers or Smart Containers and in fact we are among the early investors and prime movers in this smart transformation of our industry. The starting point comes from our customers and their growing demand for greater visibility on the whereabouts and status of their cargo.

Finally, MSC is a founding member of the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA), an independent, non-profit association in which our Chief Digital & Information Officer, André Simha, serves as Chairman, and which focuses on driving standardization, digitization and interoperability in container shipping. Today we are pleased to say that we are experiencing significant and promising changes.

And while doing all this, we continue to stay true to our values of putting people first and retaining our personal touch.

What do you expect from your participation in the Hackathon?

Being present at the Valenciaport Hackathon can only reinforce MSC's positioning as an industry leader and expert in technology solutions, as well as a benchmark in the maritime and logistics industry.

In addition, we are proud to have the opportunity to participate in the event as one of the creators of the four challenges presented for the development of innovation in the sector. We are convinced that collaborating in this way, so closely with the participants, will help us in the search for new solutions to address the global challenges of the sector.

The challenge we have presented to the attendees is about the decarbonization of the logistics chain, a very important issue for MSC. We are looking forward to collaborating with participants, students, professionals and startups in the search for fresh ideas that provide sustainable solutions to address global challenges. We look forward to seeing what solutions they come up with to this great challenge.

A final thought for those who are going to participate in your challenge

The willingness to participate in the Hackathon and influence the development of the maritime sector is admirable. We look forward to seeing what innovative solutions can be proposed to improve the logistics sector and enable it to thrive in a more efficient, secure and sustainable environment. Teamwork and a passion for improving the functioning of the logistics chain is what MSC is looking for from those who participate in our challenge.