Empirical agent-based model simulation for the port nautical services: A case study for the Port of Rotterdam

Large deep-sea ports are complex environments where different parties work together to handle ships. The ability to model the deep-sea ship handling process is desired with the goal of what-if ex-ante scenario assessment. In this paper, an agent-based model for simulating the port nautical services in the Port of Rotterdam is presented. The model is constructed based on the real-world process descriptions, and is calibrated and validated based on empirical data. We further show that the model can be used as a tool to analyse scenarios, of which two cases are presented in this paper. The bottom-up modelling approach used in this study provides a methodology to grasp the complex, multi-organizational, aspects of the port nautical service chain. The developed model can be seen as a prototype for a decision support tool for the Port of Rotterdam's Port Authority to analyse the impact of measures on this multi stakeholder system without a central control entity. The modelling approach is scalable to other complex large deep-sea ports with necessary adjustments, in terms of spatial elements, agent representations and empirical data.