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Port managing bodies (PMBs) need to respond to increased societal pressures for improving environmental performance. For many PMBs, a modal shift (MS) from road to rail and barge transport (where available) represents a strategic priority. Yet, in practice, few PMBs have set clear MS targets or have been able to achieve their MS objectives at the level of the port cluster. In this context, the extant port management literature has not yet provided actionable and generally applicable conceptual guidance for PMBs towards achieving ambitious MS goals. In this paper, we develop such guidance by following a contract theory approach to the effectiveness of MS strategies implemented by PMBs. We argue that a PMB, in its role of port cluster manager, can facilitate a MS through strategically deploying governance mechanisms based on sound economic theory. Here, an arsenal of incentives and penalties can be used to push port users (PUs) towards achieving MS targets. Building upon insight from contract theory, we also assess the importance of information management as a prerequisite for a successful MS strategy. We formulate strategic directions for PMBs and identify a future research agenda that should allow improved understanding of how MS goals can be achieved in real world settings.

International audience; After a brief background about the development of containerization in recent decades, this chapter reviews the current characteristics of liner shipping networks under three main themes. First, it provides an overview of the different service types of shipping lines and dynamics in liner service configuration and design. Second, a global snapshot of the worldwide liner shipping network is proposed by means of vessel movement data. The changing geographic distribution of main inter-port links is explored in the light of recent reconfigurations of liner shipping networks (e.g. multiplication versus rationalisation of port calls). We also discuss the position of seaports in liner shipping networks referring to concepts of centrality, hierarchy, and selection factors. The chapter concludes by elaborating on the interactions and interdependencies between seaport development and liner shipping network development notably under current economic changes.

After a brief background about the development of containerization in recent decades, this chapter reviews the current characteristics of liner shipping networks under three main themes. First, it provides an overview of the different service types of shipping lines and dynamics in liner service configuration and design. Second, a global snapshot of the worldwide liner shipping network is proposed by means of vessel movement data. The changing geographic distribution of main inter-port links is explored in the light of recent reconfigurations of liner shipping networks (e.g. multiplication versus rationalisation of port calls). We also discuss the position of seaports in liner shipping networks referring to concepts of centrality, hierarchy, and selection factors. The chapter concludes by elaborating on the interactions and interdependencies between seaport development and liner shipping network development notably under current economic changes.

In this paper, we undertake an overview of port migration throughout the world from two perspectives, qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative perspective discusses existing models, drivers and impediments of port migration, supported by concrete cases from around the world. . The quantitative approach measures port migration patterns using urban population and vessel traffic data of about 4,000 places from the 1950s to the present, calculating the volume and share of “outer” versus “inner” traffic and analysing/mapping its evolution/distribution. In conclusion, we discuss the universality of port migration and its readable effects on urban growth or decline.

The market environment of ports and terminals is continuously pushing terminal operators to achieve higher levels of dock labour performance. This paper proposes an original conceptual framework to identify, classify and evaluate innovative initiatives of terminal operators addressed to enhance dock labour performance. We link the innovation concept to a market-driven perspective on the organization of dock work in light of changing market requirements. The conceptual approach not only considers technological innovations, but also organisational and regulatory innovations. The framework is used to analyse a set of innovative initiatives of terminal operators in European seaports. The findings reveal that innovative initiatives can have very different characteristics and ramifications when looking at the type of innovation, the boundaries of innovation, the nature of the actors involved, the (expected) magnitude of impact and the impact of labour performance.

Inland waterway transport (IWT) in Ukraine is currently in its infancy stage in comparison with other land based transport modes (rail and road) and with other countries that possess navigable rivers. This paper is an extension of the research initiated by Grushevska and Notteboom (2015, 2016) where the concepts of intermediacy and centrality are introduced in order to assess the role of Ukraine in the global and regional transport networks. The list of key obstacles for Ukraines intermediacy function includes such IWT related barriers as: (i) deficient inland waterway infrastructure, (ii) high IWT costs (fees for bridges, locks etc. ) and (iii) pilotage charges. To date the transportation to/from ports is mainly fulfilled by road or by rail-based multimodal transport solutions. We have analysed the unutilized potential of Ukrainian IWT that needs to be efficiently exploited for the benefit of the national economy and national transport system. This study intends to enrich the limited academic research on IWT systems in a transition stage, as exemplified by the case of Ukraine.

The competitiveness of a seaport depends on the extent the cargo handled in the port can reach its hinterland destination (e.g. Acciaro & McKinnon, 2013). The importance of hinterland connections has been recognised as one of the most critical issues in port competitiveness and development in most ports around the world. Upgrading of facilities and equipment, privatization of port operations and increased sophistication of berth planning have resulted in drastic reduction of ship turnaround times over the last decade. The smoothness of port-hinterland connections has not followed at the same pace. Increasing ship vessel size - and the related emergence of maritime hubs and spokes - will only exacerbate the bottlenecks related to port hinterland connectivity. One of the main issues related to the development of adequate hinterland connections in ports is the need to coordinate multiple actors often with conflicting mandates that constitute the mêlée of private and public institutions governing port hinterland infrastructure development.

The concept of multi-port gateway region has been introduced by Notteboom (2010) and has been applied to important seaport markets such as Europe and Asia. However, the dynamics and port development patterns in secondary multi-port gateway regions, such as the Black Sea region, have received far less attention in academic literature. An empirical application of established spatial and functional development models to such secondary port regions might substantiate the external validity of these models as these ports operate in a different spatial, economic and institutional environment. The aim of the paper is to characterize the spatial dynamics of container ports of the Black Sea multi-port gateway regions by testing the validity of established spatial models on port system development. Furthermore, the expected future evolution path for port hierarchy in the Black Sea basin is discussed. By doing so, the paper assesses to what extent the Black Sea port region is following an expected development path as portrayed in a number of port system development models, or alternatively, can be characterized as an atypical port system following its own development logic. Key Words : Black Sea, Containers, Gateway, Hinterland, Port system development, Terminal

This paper starts from the idea that exogenous determinants should be taken into consideration when assessing performance (Verbraeken & Notteboom, 2012). We introduce additional measurement logic to an existing framework. The structure of this paper is as follows: first the role of exogenous factors (determinants) is explained in both historical and contemporary settings. Expansion possibilities and growing environmental concerns are addressed. The framework to attribute these determinants is being put against other currently used approaches and methods. Both strong and weak points are considered. The third section takes into consideration two types of terminals: bulk terminals and container terminals with the main focus on the latter one. The final section of this paper introduces a weighted adjuster benchmark setup which takes into consideration various stakeholders points of view.

The study on motivation at work has attracted psychologists, economists and sociologists (Vroom, 1964). However, most of current literature is acontextual neglecting the role of contextual layers found in distinct industries / professional environments. The aim of the present paper is to extend traditional notions of work motivation by considering more explicitly the importance and impact of professional / industry contexts and extant processes in them on work motivation. The focus of the paper is on two maritime-related professional environments: seafarers working on board of merchant vessels and dock workers performing cargo handling operations in seaports. The paper critically reviews the context and constituents of the two professions in view of adding a dimension/layer of industry context and environment to mainstream literature on motivation.

A crucial question for logistics services providers is to decide where in the supply chain network to operate value added logistics services (VALS). When handling cold chain products, this question becomes even more complex due to the unique logistics characteristics of this kind of products. A cold chain is a supply chain which deals with temperature sensitive and often highly perishable goods. Each step along the whole cold chain needs special care to ensure the quality of the products and to optimize shelf life. The global market of cold chain products is increasing rapidly due to the development of cold chain techniques and transportation efficiency. This market is further characterized by a specific economic geography of cold supply chains and competition between market players such as supermarkets and producers for chain control. This paper discusses distribution and value added logistics in relation to cold chain products. We are particularly interested in understanding how location decisions regarding value added logistics services are made when dealing with cold chain products. This study aims to present (1) the current dynamics in the organization of cold chain logistics; (2) the specific logistics characteristics of cold chain products, and comparison among different cold chain products, and (3) the effect of the specificities of cold supply chains on location decisions regarding VALS. This study also presents case studies on bananas, pineapples and kiwifruits cold chain to illustrate the optimal location selection process regarding VALS for different cold chain products.

In the past decades, the cruise industry developed into a mass market using large vessels and adding more revenue-generating passenger services onboard. It is a highly concentrated business both in terms of players (i.e. four players accounting for 96% of the market) and markets (i.e. Caribbean and Mediterranean are the key markets). Under such circumstances vessel deployment strategies and itinerary design by cruise operators are primordial and are affected by market circumstances and requirements and by pure operational considerations. This paper focuses on capacity deployment and itineraries in two major cruise markets: the Caribbean and the Mediterranean through an analysis of itineraries and ship deployment. We argue that the cruise industry sells itineraries, not destinations, implying a greater flexibility in the selection of ports of call. The paper also reveals that the two cruise markets are not functioning independently but are interconnected in an operational manner, particularly through the repositioning of vessel units to cope with variations in seasonal demand among the geographical markets. Next to analyzing itineraries and capacity deployment strategies, the paper proposes a classification of cruise ports based on the role they serve within their regions.

The past decade has seen significant competition and cooperation between regional port gateways, hub and intermediate hub container ports. New ports entering the market and existing ports expanding their handling capacity have also intensified the competitive dynamics between corridors linking ports to continental hinterlands. The knowledge of the competitive position ranking of a corridor, together with the characteristics which make a corridor competitive can provide stakeholders with appropriate strategies/action plans of how to increase a corridors attractiveness and improve/maintain the corridors competitive position. Currently, little empirical research exists for assessing the competitive position of a corridor in a given port system based on best practice corridor theoretical principals. This paper focuses on regional hinterland competitive dynamics in container port corridor supply chain nodes. The study combines the corporate strategy concept of resource and capability appraisal (Grant, 2009), together with various theoretical principles of corridor attractiveness. The objective of the adapted resource and capability corridor appraisal achieves the goal of developing a sound and empirical framework for a competitive rank assessment of competing corridors in a given container port system. The proposed methodological framework serve as the theoretical foundation for a planned empirical application to assess the competitiveness of rail corridors in southern Africa. As such, the paper contributes to advancing and broadening the methodological discussion on corridors and hinterland port system competitiveness and development.

While the issue of governance and institutions in seaport systems has been addressed extensively in recent literature, few studies pay attention on this issue when it comes to inland waterway transport systems (IWT). In order to fill this gap, this paper aims at discussing the role of governance and institutions in the development of IWT in Belgium. We do so by first providing a literature review of existing port governance studies. Then, after a general discussion on IWT in the European Union, we discuss the case of the governance of IWT in Belgium (especially the Flemish area) with three essential factors: 1) functions of parties at different levels and their relationship; 2) financial governance regarding investments in IWT infrastructures and superstructures; 3) land use issues and concession issues of inland terminals. We conclude with a discussion on the role of institutions and governance in the development of IWT in Flanders, a region of Belgium, by analysing how governance and institutions play(ed) a role in the past and current development stage of the Belgian IWT system.

During the pre-bidding phase of a terminal awarding procedure, landlord port authorities are sometimes confronted with the strategic decision whether to split an available port site into two or more sections to be concessioned separately to different terminal operators. A recent case includes the port of Brisbane in Australia. The port authority of Valparaiso in Chile is now facing a similar challenge. The port authority of Valparaiso concessioned terminal 1 to a private operator and is considering whether it should concession the second site to the same terminal operator or, alternatively, opt for a competitive bidding procedure to attract another terminal operator, thereby initiating intra-port competition. The port is already facing inter-port competition from neighbouring port San Antonio which handles about the same container volume as port of Valparaiso. In this paper, a game theoretical model is developed in order to shed light on the best option for the port authority of Valparaiso. For this purpose, a non-cooperative two-stage game is developed that models intra-port in and inter-port competition between the port of Valparaiso and San Antonio. In the first stage, the port authority of Valparaiso decides on the way it is going to subdivide its respective port infrastructure. In the second stage, competition between the terminals of the two ports is modelled as a Bertrand game. The game is solved backwards. This paper builds further on earlier work of the authors with respect to the application of game theory to inter-port and intra-port competition by providing a real-life application to Chilean ports.

The article aims to propose a model on port development to lead with both: the current characteristics of the global competitive scenario and the theoretical and practical limitations of traditional models. Into the theoretical field, it is proposed a model based on the framework of evolutionary economics geography. Such a framework results useful to incorporate the process of creation and dissemination of knowledge as the main inductor of port development into the current competitive scenario. Into the practical field, it is proposed a methodology whose future implementation will result useful to measure the causal relationships among variables presented into the model, such relationships have been subject to partial measurement by existing models.

The awarding of port services to private operators has become one of the most important tools for port authorities to retain some control on the organization and structure of the supply side of the terminal market. This paper discusses the awarding of terminals in European ports from an EU legal and policy context. It also seeks to provide in-depth information on current practices and perceptions of port authorities around Europe on tendering and contractual arrangements linked to the awarding of terminals. The relevant issues relate to the terminal awarding processes, the duration of the terminal award contract and the contract stipulations. The paper also seeks to understand whether the practices are influenced by factors such as terminal size, the competitive environment in which the port operates and the geographical location.