Thematic Area

October 5th, 2025
Thematic Area

The geopolitical risks and the port-related Carbon Emissions are the theme of the latest portstudy by PortEconomics member Pierre Cariou (co-authored with Chengkun Li and Dr Dong Yang) published in the scholarly journal Transport Policy. The article addresses geopolitical risks (GPR) and their environmental implications for port-related emissions. Using a monthly panel dataset covering 269 container ports across 40 countries and regions from 2016 to 2023 and employing a system generalized method of moments (SYS-GMM) estimator, it confirms that...
October 2nd, 2025
Thematic Area

Following the strong recovery of European container ports in 2024 after the turbulence of 2023, the first half of 2025 reveals a reshuffling of growth dynamics across the top 15 EU container ports. While overall volumes remain steady, the latest figures highlight significant regional divergences and notable winners. PortEconomics member Theo Notteboom analyses, the data shows both continuity and shifts in Europe’s container port hierarchy. ✅ Baltic Hub propels Gdansk to the topGdansk leads the European ranking in terms of...
September 18th, 2025
Thematic Area

By Theo Notteboom The global container shipping fleet has experienced significant growth over the past few decades, driven by the steady rise in international trade. Shipping lines have expanded their fleets either through organic growth—as in the case of MSC—or through a combination of organic growth and mergers & acquisitions, like Maersk. Today, the top 20 container carriers collectively operate a fleet (including both owned and chartered vessels) with a total capacity of 30 million TEU. Three years ago, this figure...
August 12th, 2025
Thematic Area

The World Bank published the third edition of the Port Reform Toolkit - highlighting, among others the transformation of ports in recent years and the emerging issues to address. The enhanced Port Reform Toolkit 3.0 begins by analysing global trends and their impact on ports. Module 2 introduces concepts of change management. Then, in eight substantive modules, we explore port governance, privatisation, regulation, finance, and labour arrangements, followed by new modules that are now at the core of future-proofing ports:...
July 21st, 2025
Thematic Area

PortEconomics member Theo Notteboom and Ahmed Alsalfiti (University of Antwerp and Antwerp Management School, Belgium) investigated the influence of service quality on customer satisfaction with clearing and forwarding C&F agents using the SERVQUAL model and their portstudy has been published in the Scientific Journal of Maritime Research. C&F agents play a crucial role in facilitating the clearance and delivery of goods for businesses, and their service quality is heavily dependent on port operations. The authors' research...
June 30th, 2025
Thematic Area

Do you want to understand better why fewer than 80 container terminals are automated? PortEconomics members Theo Notteboom, Thanos Pallis & Geraldine Knatz examine stakeholders' attitudes toward container terminal automation, aiming to place terminal automation as an innovation trajectory in the broader context of stakeholder relations management. More specifically, their port study: Position terminal automation as an innovation trajectory within the broader context of stakeholder relations...
June 23rd, 2025
Thematic Area

PortEconomics member Theo Notteboom, joined TOC Worldwide'’s #TOCEurope conference in Rotterdam and the plennary session on the container market trade outlook, with an intervention explaining results of the World Ports Tracker on #resilience and ports sentiments on container shipping growth prospects  His presentation focused on key market-related findings of the World Ports Tracker report of the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH), which Theo Notteboom and Thanos...
June 12th, 2025
Thematic Area

PortEconomics member Jean-Paul Rodrigue delivered a testimony in front of the Joint Economic Committee of the Congress of the United States, in Washington, DC. The hearing was on "Barriers to Supply Chain Modernisation and Factor Productivity Enhancements". Jean-Paul's contribution focused on the main barriers that North American ports, particularly container ports, are facing. He suggested a greater autonomy for port authorities with expanded governance. Many are landlords who may be required to act more as entrepreneurs.The full...
June 10th, 2025
Thematic Area

Container liner shipping companies, under the international shipping carbon reduction indicators proposed by the International Maritime Organisation, must transform two key aspects: technology and operations. PortEconomics member Theo Notteboom, along with Yuzhe Zhao, Zhongxiu Peng (Dalian Maritime University), Jingmiao Zhou (Dalian University of Foreign Languages), Yiji Ma (Dalian Maritime University) defined a green liner shipping problem (GLSP) that integrates the deployment of a heterogeneous fleet, speed determination, and fuel...
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