Recent trends in port development show that ports are making increasing efforts to forge mutually beneficial cooperation strategies, particularly ports sharing a common hinterland. PortEconomics co-director Peter de Langen co-authored with Kristijan Stamatović and Aleš Groznik (University of Ljubljana) an analysis of the North Adriatic ports (Koper, Rijeka, Trieste and Venice) with a focus on two related themes. First, the complementarity of the North Adriatic (NA) ports in the container market is analysed based on port vessel service patterns and shipping line interviews. The authors operationalize the analysis of complementarity with an analysis of the effects of multiple portcalls on the revenue required to make a call in a specific NA port economically feasible. The port study conclude that the inclusion of another NA port reduces the minimum required revenue for a call in an additional NA port.
Second, port study assess the scope and depth of cooperation between ports: map current and potential future cooperation using a ‘cooperation matrix’ with two dimensions: the involvement of stakeholders (limited vs. broad), and the depth of cooperation (pre-competitive vs. commercial). Peter, Kristijian and Aleš use in-depth interviews with port authorities, terminal operators, rail operators, major shipping lines and forwarders in the NA region to position the NA ports in the matrix and conclude by discussing prospects of future NAPA ports cooperation.
The port study has been published in Research in Transportations Business and Management and the authors’ version can be freely be downloaded here.
