The California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) has announced a $27 million investment to develop and enhance data systems across California’s five containerized ports. 

Secretary Toks Omishakin – Source: https://calsta.ca.gov

“Through this critical funding and strong collaboration between California’s ports, key operators will now have essential data to help move goods using a more efficient, reliable, and resilient transportation network,” said California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin in a press release.

The funds will support ten innovative projects aimed at addressing key challenges in port operations and fostering long-term statewide freight resilience. These projects will deploy cutting-edge technologies, optimize cargo routing, and implement climate resiliency and emissions reduction measures. Additionally, they will introduce trucking appointment systems and develop new data standards for cargo.

California’s ports, which include Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, San Diego, and Hueneme, play a pivotal role in global trade, handling 40% of the United States’ containerized imports. The efficient operation of these ports is critical to the national and global supply chains, supporting millions of jobs and generating billions in economic activity.

In June 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the California Budget Act of 2022, a multi-billion-dollar state investment. The comprehensive funding aims to bolster goods movement and the supply chain. It encompasses port and freight infrastructure, climate adaptation and resilience, workforce training, zero-emission vehicle deployment, grid support and reliability, and the development of port data systems.

“California’s ports are critical to the stability of our national and global supply chains, as well as the health of our worldwide economy,” Dee Dee Myers, GO-Biz Director and Senior Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom, said. “These historic, first-of-their-kind awards will allow us to use data to improve the functionality of our supply chain, and we look forward to working with our ports to further the momentum that these projects will generate across the state.”

The funding follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last spring, forming the California Port Data Partnership. This partnership and the awarded grants are expected to yield significant economic, environmental, and transportation benefits for the state.