PortEconomics members Thanos Pallis, Jason Monios, and Theo Notteboom, along with the 1st Florence Maritime Regulation Conference, held on 17 July 2026 in Florence, Italy, concluded successfully, marking the launch of a new forum dedicated to research and policy dialogue on the most pressing topics of the maritime transport sector.
Organised by the Transport Area of the Florence School of Regulation of the European University Institute, in collaboration with the Jean Monnet Chair in European Port Policy, University of Piraeus, the conference formed part of the Florence Transport Week.
Bringing together internationally recognised academics, industry representatives and policymakers, the conference provided a platform for rigorous and engaging discussions on innovative approaches to maritime regulation. Contributions addressed a wide range of topics including shipping markets, port governance, competition policy, digitalisation, sustainability, anti-corruption and the regulatory implications of the green transition and alternative maritime fuels.
The conference program included the following port studies with contributions from PortEconomics members:
-
- Building maritime anti-corruption frameworks via port integrity commitments – by Thanos Pallis and Gordon Wilmsmeier, in partnership with Andreas Hadjikofinas (University of Piraeus) and Gustavo Martinez Tello (University de Los Andes, Colombia),
- Regulatory Governance and Competition in Coastal Shipping – by Thanos Pallis, in partnership with Maria B. Lekakou (University of the Aegean), Nikolaos Lionis (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens & Hellenic Competition Commission) and Stamatios I. Choulis (University of the Aegean, Greece)
- Can port regulation fill the gaps in governance or is it an unwelcome ghost at the feast? – by Jason Monios, in partnership with Veronica Schulz (Kühne Logistics University)
- Competition regulation in container liner shipping: an impact assessment from 1990 to 2025 – by Theo Notteboom, in partnership with Lander Jacobs and Christa Sys (University of Antwerp) – a paper that won the award for the Best Paper of the Florence Transport Week.
The conference highlighted the value of interdisciplinary dialogue and evidence-based policymaking in addressing the evolving challenges facing the European maritime transportation sector. Building on its success, PortEconomics continues its commitment to advancing research and fostering dialogue on the future of European maritime and port policy, with further related activities already in preparation.
