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The emergence of Piraeus port in the global shipping networks
By George Vaggelas A decade after the concession of Pier II to COSCO Pacific, followed by the construction and the commencing of operations of Pier III and three years after the sell of the 51% of the shares of Piraeus Port Authority SA to COSCO Shipping Co., the port of Piraeus is advancing among the top container ports in Europe and internationally. In 2018, Piraeus port was the second biggest container port in the Mediterranean, the sixth biggest in Europe and the 37th in the world. No doubt, the presence of an International Terminal...
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The Analyst: ports and export competitiveness
By Peter de Langen In drafting port policies and assessing the benefits of investments in port development, we often stress the link between better ports and export competitiveness And indeed, various studies demonstrate there is a positive link between the two. Because of the diversity of exporters and export commodities, the relation between ports and export competitiveness is often assessed at the macro level, i.e. not for specific exporting companies. The case of RAK, the fourth largest emirate of the UAE, is a good case to show...
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Port choice by intra-regional container service operators: decision-making techniques between Malaysian and other Asian ports
Intra-regional container service operators are challenged to design regular and reliable liner services connecting regional ports at the lowest cost and shortest transit time while considering customer demand. This port study of PortEconomics member Theo Notteboom co-authored by Noorul Shaiful Fitri Abdul Rahman (International Maritime College Oman, Sultanate of Oman), Muhamad Nasir Rahmatdin (University Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia) and Mohammad Khairuddin Othman (University Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia), focuses on the selection of ports...
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Port labour in the era of automation and digitalization. What’s next?
The maritime and port industry experiences significant changes due to technological, operational and organizational developments. PortEconomics member George Vaggelas co-authored with Camille Leotta (University of Genoa, Italy) a port study that investigates current and future challenges for port labour in the light of the main trends shaping the port competitive environment. In this perspective, the evolution of port labour is argued to be driven by technology related factor, i.e., digitalization and automation. Digitalization can increase...
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The European container port scene 2019 and outlook for 2020
By Theo Notteboom The year 2019 brought a range of challenges and opportunities for European container ports. In this contribution we summarize the main developments and present an outlook for 2020. Container volumes up, but concern about rising trade barriers The year 2019 will go down in history as a year that brought healthy container volume growth for most European container ports, although growth slowed down in the second quarter. The year-on-year growth figures for the top 15 European container ports in the first nine...
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The impact of innovation on dock labour: evidence from European ports
The market environment of ports and terminals is continuously pushing terminal operators to achieve higher levels of dock labour performance. The latest port study by PortEconomics member Theo Notteboom along with Francesco Vitellaro (University of Genoa) proposes an original conceptual framework to identify, classify and evaluate innovative initiatives of terminal operators addressed to enhance dock labour performance. The authors link the innovation concept to a market-driven perspective on the organization of dock work in light of...
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Investment strategy of chinese terminal operators along the “21st-century maritime silk road”
After the the Belt and Road initiative launched in 2013, Chinese terminal operators invested in ports situated along the “21st- century Maritime Silk Road (MSR)”. Identifying which ports are important is made possible through applying complex network methods and GIS analysis. PortEconomics member Cesar Ducruet co-authors with Liehui Wang (East China Normal University), Yuanbo Zheng (East China Normal University) and Fan Zhang (East China Normal University) a port study that identifies strategic hub ports and investment strategies along...
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The Analyst: intra-port competition in Buenos Aires
By Peter de Langen One of the best-known cases of port reform aimed to create intra-port competition is that of Buenos Aires, the largest port of Argentina In the early 1990s, Buenos Aires was an inefficient state-run port. Cargo volumes fell between 1970 and 1990. The port tariffs increased by over 250% in real terms in a decade. The Argentine government reformed the port industry, creating a deregulated environment for private operators, while securing sufficient competition between terminals. Five terminal plots in the port...
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