Guest editors: Pierre Cariou & Jason Monios

Container shipping companies are struggling to restore margins since the financial crisis of 2008. There are many reasons for this situation, in particular related to the general overcapacity due to a slowdown in demand and to investment in larger vessels, combined with the end of shipping conference systems in Europe that have put downward pressure on freight rates. Confronted with this new market configuration, liner shipping companies have set up new strategies aiming at increasing their operational excellence and at providing differentiated services to retain or attract new customers. This translated into a new wave of investments, in mergers and acquisitions, in mega strategic alliances, and in a trend toward more energy efficient systems or toward the digitalization of maritime supply chains in order to provide more efficient intermodal and door-to-door services.

This Special Issue on new business models in container shipping and intermodal services aims to examine some of these new strategies, consider their potential outcomes and provide insights into future strategies that could emerge. Submissions addressing these issues may include but are not restricted to the following topics:

• Identifying and evaluating new business models in container shipping and intermodal services
• Incorporating intermodal and port services into maritime supply chains
• How strategic alliances improve maritime supply chain efficiency
• Theoretical analysis of new business models (e.g. transaction cost theory, resource-based view)
• Policy and regulatory responses to new business models
• The impact of new business models on end customers
• Environmental excellence in container shipping and intermodal services
• Digitalizing maritime supply chains
• Submission instructions

Submissions will be subject to a double-blind peer review process. On line submissions to Supply Chain Forum: an International Journal are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts, the online submission and peer review system.

Registration and access is available here.

Publication schedule

• The deadline for submissions of full papers: September 1st, 2018
• Notification of final acceptance for publication: June 1st, 2019
• The special issue is expected to appear in September 2019

Editorial information

• Guest Editor: Pierre Cariou, Senior Professor in Maritime and Port Economics, KEDGE BS, Bordeaux Campus ([email protected])
• Guest Editor: Jason Monios , Associate Professor in Maritime Logistics, KEDGE BS, Marseille Campus ([email protected])

For more information, visit this link.