The PIER: Centre for Port Innovation, Planning and Strategy
The PIER, a centre for port innovation, planning and strategy, in its earliest form started when Captain Allan Gray, President and CEO of the Halifax Port Authority, was in Fremantle, a port city in Western Australia. He had begun investigating turning one of the older sheds into an innovation hub for the transportation, logistics and supply chain sector. When Captain Gray arrived in Halifax he came on a platform of collaboration. “What better way to bring our stakeholders and community together to achieve new outcomes than The PIER.”
The PIER opened its doors on November 25, 2021, marking a monumental moment for Halifax and the industry, being the first supply chain and logistics living lab of its kind in Canada. In Europe there’s a prominent living lab for port innovation in Rotterdam, a major port city in the Dutch province of South Holland, and a more recently opened lab in Hamburg, Germany.
Halifax was seen as the perfect mid-sized city and port to host The PIER, with its burgeoning innovation ecosystem. Halifax has been growing its innovation capacity through its post-secondary institutions such as Dalhousie’s leading scientific research in marine shipping research, big data, and maritime policy.
We have created a centre of gravity in Halifax with a roster of national and global members dedicated to solving persistent sector challenges. The PIER provides opportunities to interact directly with end users, receive actionable insights, and for solutions to be visible to industry specific investors. The PIER provides a landing space for companies with expertise in maritime transportation and logistics who see opportunity to develop solutions alongside global industry leaders.