Abstract
Open data platforms (ODPs) are emerging as strategic infrastructures for smart port development within the European Union, yet there is limited research offering integrated approaches to evaluate their performance across technical, operational, and regulatory dimensions. To address this gap, this study develops an analytical framework combining four complementary perspectives: open data platform design, FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) principles, smart port enablement, and EU regulatory alignment. The framework is applied through a qualitative comparative case study of the Ports of Barcelona and Antwerp–Bruges, based exclusively on secondary data sources, including the academic literature, policy documents, and publicly accessible platform data. The analysis is structured around three analytical dimensions—FAIR and interface features and accessibility, smart port enablement, and EU regulatory alignment—applied consistently across both cases. The findings reveal two distinct models: Barcelona adopts an open-by-default approach prioritising accessibility, transparency, and integration with public data ecosystems, while Antwerp–Bruges follows a controlled-access model focused on operational integration, system reliability, and business-to-business data exchange. Both approaches align with EU policy frameworks but involve different trade-offs between openness and operational control. The study contributes a structured, transferable framework for evaluating port ODPs and identifies practices for their design and governance in smart port and maritime logistics contexts.