European Port Policy
European Port Policy
European Port Policy
The leading global container terminal operators in the top 15 EU container ports
PortEconomics member Theo Notteboom reviews the presence of the leading global container terminal operators in the top 15 EU container ports (based on 2022 TEU figures). The blue boxes refer to all types of direct or indirect terminal involvement: full ownership, joint venture or a majority or minority shareholding. A distinction is made between carrier-linked (bottom) and non carrier-linked (top) terminal operators. The table puts the current controversy in Hamburg on MSC’s offer to buy a 49.9% share in HHLA, Hamburg's largest...
European Port Policy
Piraeus port privatisation revisited: geopolitical leverage in maritime transport and global supply chains
PortEconomics co-directors Thanos Pallis and Peter de Langen had the opportunity to present their current portstudy in progress on geopolitical leverage in maritime transport and global supply chains at the workshop on Globalization, Shipping and Trade, organized in Paris on October 12, 2023. Globalized production entails large flows of goods that are for 80% of them shipped over the seas. It is, therefore, essential to understanding the motivation of all stakeholders participating in the maritime transport of goods and their interaction...
European Port Policy
China’s investments in seaports along the maritime silk road
by Thanos Pallispublished in Naftemporiki (ed). Focus on Shipping, 28 Sept, 2023 Chinese investments in European seaports have increased rapidly in the 21st century. This increase is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – in particular, its maritime component, the Maritime Silk Road (MSR) – and is among the economic and geopolitical effects of China’s growing role in global affairs. Seaports are crucial pivots connecting a national economy with the world economy. Historically, however, China was a land power;...
European Port Policy
Circular Economy to be fully integrated in ‘Port Economics, Management and Policy’, a global leading reference handbook
PortEconomics members Theo Notteboom (Gent University/University of Antwerp/Antwerp Maritime Academy, Belgium), Athanasios Pallis (University of Piraeus, Greece), and Jean-Paul Rodrigue (Hofstra University, New York, US) – authors of the Port Economics, Management and Policy handbook – partner with Circular Flanders. Supported by Circular Flanders, the team of leading scholars will examine the potential and the role of ports in circular economy implementation and the impacts of the circular...
European Port Policy
Top-15 container ports in European Union in 2022
PortEconomics co-director Theo Notteboom compiled a list of the top 15 container ports in the European Union (EU) in 2022 based on the container throughput in TEU and analyses the findings. "While the ranking of the top 15 container ports in the European Union (EU) in 2022 based on the container throughput in TEU might be a mere distraction from other major port-related themes such as sustainability, energy transition, and supply chain resilience, the table provides more insight on the EU container port landscape: The...
European Port Policy
The strategy of the port development company: a business ecosystem perspective
In his latest port study, PortEconomics co-director Peter de Langen advances a conceptual understanding of strategies of port development companies (PDCs) by applying the business ecosystem perspective. Peter's analysis. which is published in the scholarly journal Maritime Transport Research, leads to a distinction between four stylized strategies for PDCs and associated types of services: minimalist (six services), integrator (six services), and ecosystem services (six services). An analysis of the services provided by a PDC reveals...
European Port Policy
Circular economy indicators for ports
Based on earlier exploratory research, PortEconomics members Elvira Haezendonck, Michael Dooms, and Peter de Langen, P. join Lynn Faut and Fanny Soyeur, in a port study on how best to ensure a circular strategy implementation by world ports. The study recently published in the Journal of Maritime Transport Research focuses on developing a comprehensive set of relevant and feasible circular economy (CE) indicators to support port managing bodies (PMBs) and port stakeholders in monitoring the ongoing CE transition. Through...
European Port Policy
Towards a prioritization of alternative energy sources for sustainable shipping
The prioritization of alternative energy sources for sustainable shipping is the theme of the latest study by PortEconomics co-director Theo Notteboom – along with Ziaul Haque Munim, Mojahid Chowdhury and Hasan Mahbub Tusher. The research assesses seven energy sources for shipping with a view to ranking their prospects based on sustainability as well as identifying the energy transition criteria. Data were collected from maritime industry experts, including seafarers, shipping company executives, government representatives,...
European Port Policy