AMSTERDAM - Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA), a neutral, non-profit group established to further digitisation of container shipping technology standards, announced that Henk Jan Gerzee has joined the company as Chief Product Officer. Gerzee joins DCSA from ‘the world’s leading digital airport’, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, where he was responsible for the airport’s award-winning success in its implementation of digital technology – considered best practice across the aviation sector.
DCSA aims to set a technological foundation for interoperable IT solutions in container shipping through the development of digital standards for the industry. The widespread adoption of these standards will help move the industry forward in terms of customer experience, efficiency, collaboration, innovation, and respect for the environment. DCSA believes digitalisation of the sector is an imperative, particularly in light of ongoing disruption to the global supply chain and the strong global focus on sustainability.
“Joining DCSA is an incredibly exciting ground-floor opportunity to make a difference in one of the most important but digitally immature industries in the world,” said Gerzee. “There are a number of ways in which accelerating digital transformation of container shipping will have a global impact. For one thing, container shipping is a critical link in the global supply chain. Digitalising container shipping is vital to ensuring a supply chain that is more reliable, resilient, and responsive to customer needs and market forces. Also, like aviation, digitalisation of container shipping will play a huge role in moving the industry towards net zero. I’m excited to apply everything we achieved in aviation to making container shipping a data-driven industry in which even the biggest goals are well within reach.”
At Schiphol Airport, Gerzee led the digitalisation effort which included eCommerce solutions, data analytics, artificial intelligence, digital products, an airport wide app and web optimisation – all designed to better facilitate the journeys of the 72 million passengers a year who transit through Europe’s third busiest airport.
Thomas Bagge, Chief Executive Officer at DCSA, said: “Gerzee’s appointment is an important step in our mission to accelerate digitalisation of the industry. Container shipping can learn a lot from aviation in terms of digital transformation, and Henk Jan was instrumental in facilitating that transition for one of the world’s foremost airports. As we’ve seen through the launch of the Biden Administration’s Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW) and the Future International Trade (FIT) Alliance, a critical mass of government and private sector organisations has focused on the importance of digitalising the supply chain through standardisation. Now is the time to strike while the iron is hot to galvanize support for our efforts across the industry to move rapidly towards digital transformation.”