A port planning study case: the freight strategy of the new Central Tyrrhenian Sea Port Authority 2017-2020

Abstract

The port industry sector is one of the main drivers of economic development in Italy, with important employment implications. The economic crisis has accentuated its importance and has increased competition among ports in the Mediterranean basin and, for this reason, the Italian Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport (MIT) has foreseen a long-term strategy to improve the system efficiency. In 2016, the Ports of Naples, Salerno and Castellammare di Stabia, with only the first two carrying out freight traffic, have been merged into the Port Authority System of the Central Tyrrhenian Sea. In the first months of 2017, Port Authority published its first Triennial Operational Plan 2017-2019 (TOP) - with a projection to 2020 - where development strategies are defined, among which the ones for the goods.The publication of the TOP has represented the occasion to analyze the characteristics of the two freight Ports involve in the Port Authority, Naples and Salerno, referring to the infrastructural characteristics and historical data series on traffic freight. All information has led to an analysis of the policies implemented by the Port Authority to improve the competitiveness of the ports, including the level of service offered.The analysis of the Plan required the development of a quali-quantitative methodology. In this way, it was possible to follow, through a standard approach (which allows comparison) - the current scenario and the Plan/future one. In addition, in order to compare the two ports in terms of goods handling in the Plan scenario, a time-series analysis has been carried out using an ARIMA model for forecasting freight traffic until 2020.The aim of this paper is to evaluate the freight evolution of Naples and Salerno’s ports through the new TOP, using a structured, replicable and adaptable methodological approach, and providing suggestions to decision-makers on emerging priorities.