Welcome

The nation's Marine Transportation System (MTS) plays a vast and vital role in the U.S. economy. The Center for Port Operation, Risk, and Technology (CPORT) headquartered at Oregon State University was established in 2003 in response to the pressing need for coordinated, multidisciplinary research and technology addressing the nation's maritime transportation system. Faculty from several colleges at OSU contribute to Areas of Excellence in port and coastal engineering, industrial operations and security, heavy construction, near-shore oceanography, marine biology and ecosystems, maritime business, and financial risk mitigation. Research and education in the law and regulations that concern and affect the uses of the oceans, its resources, and the coastal zone is facilitated by faculty in the Ocean and Coastal Law Center at the University of Oregon. CPORT expertise is being directed towards critical MTS issues including the reduction of risk due to natural and man-made hazards, efficiency and economic competitiveness of U.S. ports, marine safety, and the protection of marine environments.

In order to insure a broad national perspective to the research and educational components of the center the CPORT Technical Advisory Board currently consists of representatives from 12 major U.S. ports located on the east, gulf, and west coasts, 7 federal agencies, and port industry organizations. The development of strong industry-university-federal partnerships is contributing to state-of-the-art research at world-class facilities. These facilities include the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory at Oregon State University - a leading center for research and education in coastal engineering and nearshore science. The HWRL is one of the largest and technically most advanced coastal research laboratories in the world. OSU faculty at the HWRL have established strong research programs in physical and numerical modeling of coastal dynamics, tsunami and coastal hazard mitigation, and soil-structure-wave interaction of coastal structures. These efforts augment port and coastal engineering research in diverse topics such as seismic and geologic hazards, engineering-economic analyses of hazard reduction, risk management, transportation infrastrucuture and intermodal efficiency, and bio-remediation of contaminated soils.

At the Center for Port Operations, Risk, and Technology we are committed to facilitating effective communication between the port industry, the nation's academe, and federal agencies charged with the operation and security of the MST. The CPORT provides outstanding education, outreach to industry, and applied research opportunities to enhance the nation's maritime transportation system.