Seattle – The Marine Exchange of Puget Sound and Wärtsilä Voyage Canada have announced a three-year partnership to deploy the PortLink Digital Maritime Information Exchange Platform across the Puget Sound maritime corridor.
This collaboration represents a significant step forward in maritime digitalization in the Pacific Northwest. It will introduce a shared digital platform connecting key constituents and enabling real-time operational coordination across one of North America’s busiest and most complex waterway systems.
The PortLink platform will deliver real-time vessel tracking integrated with AIS data, vessel visit management workflows, pilot input, service request handling, tug dispatch, incident reporting, and configurable alerting. Critically, it will enable seamless data exchange across the maritime ecosystem—providing the ability to connect pilots, terminals, tug operators, shipping agents, and regulators within a unified operational environment.
Implementation will follow a phased approach, beginning with core platform configuration and onboarding of pilot associations, terminal operators, and shipping agents. The Marine Exchange will retain full ownership and governance of all operational data throughout the deployment.
“For 46 years, the Marine Exchange has served as the trusted, neutral hub connecting the maritime community across Puget Sound,” said Patrick Gallagher, Executive Director of MXPS and Chair of the Puget Sound Harbor Safety Committee. “PortLink provides the digital infrastructure to match that mission. When a container vessel is inbound to Seattle, every constituent—from the pilot boarding at Port Angeles to the terminal operator in Tacoma—can be working from a shared, real-time operational picture. That represents a fundamental shift for this waterway.”
Unlike most major port ecosystems globally, Puget Sound operates without a single port authority. Vessel traffic is coordinated across multiple independent organizations, including deep-draft cargo shipping, passenger ferries, fishing fleets, tribal treaty vessels, and U.S. Navy operations. The PortLink platform introduces a unified digital environment to support coordination across this highly complex operating model.
“The Marine Exchange represents exactly the type of partner we look for—an independent, mission-driven organization with deep roots in the maritime community and a clear vision for a connected port ecosystem,” said Vesa Koivumaa, Head of Sales, Americas at Wärtsilä. “Puget Sound is one of the most operationally complex waterways in North America. Deploying the PortLink solution here will demonstrate what is possible when proven digital solutions are combined with trusted local governance.”
With more than 350 digital port and maritime traffic solutions deployed globally across Europe, South America, Africa, and the Middle East, Wärtsilä continues to advance smart port ecosystems and maritime digitalization.
(Photo from Marine Exchange of Puget Sound)