There are three stages of container terminal automation, practically accepted in port industry; manual, semi-automation, and full automation stages. This study shows that each stage is associated with such strategic factors as container throughput, economic, environmental demands, and regional characteristics including economic development All the automation stages in practice can also be associated and so have been attempted to be integrated with the well-known David Collier's automation stages.
This study also has investigated and attempted to explain how each automation stage is affected by the above mentioned strategic factors; container throughput, economic, environmental demands, and regional characteristics. This leads to some significant Implications for future container terminal automation strategies in Korea.