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Commission unveils new EU Ports Strategy
The European Commission adopted the EU Ports Strategy, a comprehensive framework to step up the competitiveness, resilience, security, and sustainability of Europe’s ports. The Strategy puts forward actions focused on five priorities to address the most pressing challenges: Strengthen competitiveness, innovation and digitalisation To improve coherence and coordination, the Commission will develop criteria and guiding principles for EU funding and investments in third-country ports. The Commission...
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PortGraphic: Container port dynamics near Gibraltar
By Theo Notteboom The Strait of Gibraltar occupies a pivotal position along some of the world’s most important East–West trade lanes. For many years, Algeciras, strategically located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, was the first port to fully exploit this geographical advantage by developing a transhipment hub position. In the mid‑1990s, its strong transhipment orientation enabled it to capture nearly 70% of the total container volume handled by the five ports shown in the graph. Last year, its share had fallen to just...
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A metric of global maritime supply chain disruptions: The global supply chain stress index - maritime (GSCSI-M)
Global supply chains regularly face widespread disruptions, with events such as the COVID-19 pandemic (2021−22), geopolitical incidents in the Red Sea, and water shortages at the Panama Canal (2023–24) impacting global maritime trade flows and shipping routes. Regardless of the cause, delays or rerouting in critical maritime supply lines have had a global impact. To quantify and assess the magnitude and location of such maritime disruptions, a proposed metric, the Global Supply Chain Stress Index - Maritime (GSCSI-M), has been...
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PortGraphic: Top-15 EU container ports in Q3 2025
By Theo Notteboom Following a strong recovery in 2024 after a challenging 2023, the first nine months of 2025 reveal a shift in growth dynamics across the top 15 EU container ports: Only three ports achieved double-digit growth: Gdansk leads with an impressive 21.7% increase, largely driven by the launch of its newest terminal at the Baltic Hub. Gioia Tauro continues its upward trajectory, fueled by MSC’s sustained investment and operations. Bremerhaven tops 10% growth and is expected to move from the seventh place in 2024 to the...
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ECONSHIP2026: Call for papers
Navigating the Maritime Future: Building Competitive, Sustainable, and Resilient Maritime Supply Chains23-25 September 2026, Chios, Greece Following the successful first editions of 2011 and 2015, ECONSHIP returns, inviting researchers from Europe and around the globe to submit papers on the theme “Navigating the Maritime Future: Building Competitive, Sustainable, and Resilient Maritime Supply Chains”. Proudly supported by PortEconomics, the 3rd edition of the European Conference on Shipping, Intermodalism and Ports –...
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ESG disclosure as a proxy of port corporate communication and sustainable management strategy: An LDA approach
The contemporary port industry faces intense competition, compelling port authorities and operators to enhance efficiency and effectiveness as proxies for competitiveness. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) schemes have recently emerged as a means for ports to create value beyond core activities and engage broader stakeholder groups. ESG encompasses environmental, social, and governance factors influencing a company's value creation and competitiveness. The latest portstudy of PortEconomics George Vaggelas, co-authored with...
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From coal exports to green steel production? The role of circular economy precincts for sustainable port diversification
PortEconomics member Jason Monios along with Veronica Schulz, Michael G.H. Bell, John M. Rose, D. Glenn Geers (The University of Sydney Business School, Australia) examined the potential for establishing a circular economy precinct centred around green steel production at the Port of Newcastle, Australia, as a strategy to diversify the port and hinterland away from its reliance on coal exports. Using system dynamics modelling and sensitivity analysis, the study assesses the economic viability of green steel production under...
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