GHD maritime leaders discuss port industry trends on ACEC podcast
Two of our maritime and coastal leaders recently joined the American Council of Engineering Companies' (ACEC) Market Edge podcast to discuss the evolving dynamics shaping port development across North America.
Victor Tirado, Maritime and Coastal Market Sector Lead, and Michael Vanderbeek, North American Maritime and Coastal Planning Lead, explored how ports are adapting to rapid change across energy, funding and technology.
The conversation covered several critical shifts in the industry, including how ports are becoming energy hubs while managing traditional cargo operations. From electrification and microgrids to alternative fuels like methanol, LNG and hydrogen, the infrastructure demands are creating new planning challenges within limited space.
"Ports are not only international gateways for cargo, but now increasingly they're actually energy hubs as well," Michael explained during the episode.
The discussion also addressed evolving funding models as public port authorities reach debt capacity limits and increasingly rely on federal and state grants combined with private sector investment to deliver billion-dollar infrastructure projects.
Victor and Michael shared perspectives on market uncertainty from tariffs and trade diversification, the current pause in offshore wind development and how artificial intelligence and automation may impact port operations in the years ahead.
"It's definitely an all-inclusive shift," Victor noted, discussing how the industry is adapting across energy, funding and market dynamics.
Watch the full episode on ACEC's Engineering Influence podcast here:
Media contact
Acerca de GHD
GHD es una empresa líder en servicios profesionales que opera en los mercados mundiales de agua, energía y recursos, medio ambiente, infraestructura y edificaciones, y transporte. Comprometidos con la visión de garantizar que el agua, la energía y las comunidades sean sostenibles para las futuras generaciones, GHD ofrece soluciones en consultoría, servicios digitales, ingeniería, arquitectura, medio ambiente y construcción a clientes del sector público y privado. Fundada en 1928 y propiedad de sus trabajadores, GHD cuenta con una red de más de 12.000 profesionales en más de 165 oficinas en cinco continentes.