Episode 30: Linde van Wulfften Palthe, Global Director Digital Port Clearance, CFARER | Paperless port calls: driving smarter operations

In this episode, we speak with Linde van Wulfften Palthe, Global Director Digital Port Clearance at CFARER (a DNV company), about the reality behind digitising port calls.

We explore why maritime still relies heavily on emails, PDFs and manual forms, and what it actually takes to change that. Linde shares lessons from nearly a decade of building digital solutions, including why large, ecosystem-wide visions often fail and how focusing on tangible value for individual users drives real adoption.

We discuss the shift from experimentation (including early blockchain initiatives) to practical solutions like Port Mate, designed to reduce administrative burden on board. The conversation also covers the complexity of stakeholder alignment, the role of standardisation, and why “start small and prove value” is more effective than waiting for industry-wide consensus. Finally, we look ahead at what’s next: digital corridors, AI-supported operations, cybersecurity demands, and the path toward truly optimised, just-in-time port calls.