Agreement to focus efforts on regional connectivity and integration, port and supply chain infrastructure development, digitalisation with a focus on port call optimisation and cyber resilience, and capacity building in modernising sustainable maritime operations
Kobe, Japan, 7 October 2025
IAPH and the Asian Development Bank have signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding at the IAPH’s 70th anniversary World Ports Conference in Kobe, Japan.
During his opening keynote speech at the conference, ADB President Masato Kanda said:
“Ports are more than infrastructure; they are lifelines for communities and engines of growth. By combining investment, innovation, and cooperation, we can build ports that are resilient to shocks, ready for the energy transition, and central to sustainable development across Asia and the Pacific.”
The agreement includes joint knowledge generation by:
- Co-developing a regional annual IAPH - ADB World Ports Tracker for the Asia- Pacific region (covering ADB members).
- Collaborating on research initiatives on port call optimisation in ADB Members, emphasising operational efficiency, cargo throughput, and sustainable maritime logistics.
- Co-developing a regional Green Ports Handbook/Toolkit for ADB Members.
IAPH and ADB will also take a pragmatic approach to putting this into practice by setting up workshops throughout the Asia region on:
- Encouraging regional cooperation & integration (RCI).
- Developing multimodal connectivity, including hinterland connectivity and bunker fuel supplies, to ensure no country or island is left behind.
- Proposing systems for harmonised data collection, collaboration and digitalisation in the maritime supply chain to enhance RCI.
- Exploring opportunities for cyber resilience and smart/digital solutions in the adoption of emerging technologies.
- Examining best practices to ensure that port developments (hard and soft infrastructure) meet global and domestic requirements, including the transition to lower and zero- emission maritime & land-based operations.
- Supporting the development of sustainable and resilient maritime projects in ADB Members, and identify priority areas for maritime.
- Exploring solutions for financing sustainable and resilient maritime projects in ADB Members
IAPH President and Hamburg Port Authority CEO Jens Meier commented:
“Our conference discussions this week with the wider global shipping and maritime community centres on how ports can continue to access finance to grow sustainably and prosperously in today’s uncertain times. We believe the key to this is understanding what the development finance sector needs from ports and to jointly work on ensuring that private capital as well as funding and capacity building is available to improve port efficiency and connectivity beyond port gates. Ports should use digitalisation in a smart and secure manner to improve supply chain resilience and ensure that no country is left behind on port infrastructure development when its comes to the industry transition to lower and zero- emission maritime & land-based operations.”
Contact for the news release: Victor Shieh, IAPH strategy and communications director
Email: victor.shieh@iaphworldports.org
Information for editors:
Further information on the Asian Development Bank’s focus on sustainable and resilient maritime supply chain development can be found in the current IAPH Ports & Harbors edition here.
About IAPH
Founded in 1955, the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) has developed into a global alliance of 202 port authorities as well as 175 port-related businesses. Comprised of over 94 different nationalities across the world’s continents, member ports handle over one third of the world’s sea-borne trade and well over 60% of the world container traffic. IAPH leads global port industry initiatives on decarbonisation and energy transition, risk and resilience management, and accelerating digitalisation in the maritime transport chain. The IAPH’s World Ports Sustainability Program has grown into the reference database of best practices of ports applying the UN Sustainable Development Goals and integrating them into their businesses - iaphworldports.org.
World Port Conference in Kobe | Photographer: Eric Sales | Copyright: 2025 Eric Norman Sales/ADB.