Determinants of further development and management of modern global maritime containerization (Redefinition after Covid-19 and War in Ukraine)

Abstract

Maritime containerized shipping has recently suffered from various problems and challenges caused by stochastic shocks such as the Covid -19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine. The pandemic and recent war have clearly indicated shortfalls and weaknesses of maritime containerization and have triggered various attempts at identifying the potential for its further development determined by the new reality (after global shocks and with the consideration of new ones). The paper presents a holistic analysis of factors that globally affect the potential for further development of containerized maritime transport. The entire research design comes as an attempt made at identifying and updating the determinants and predictions of prospects for development of containerization in the current geopolitical situation and global trade conditions in the post-pandemic era, also taking the aspects of the ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine and the post-war recovery into consideration. The results of the research are presented as a matrix of the eight main determinants Det 1-8 (each supported by two key factors F1, F2) that have been originally identified. Each factor is described by an originally developed calculation methodology (as an Index). The indexes are calculated for the period of 2018-2020 and subsequently discussed. Moreover, there is a potential for further utilization of the presented matrix as a universal tool that will define the future aspects of management in the field of the expected architecture of global supply chains and maritime transport of containerized cargo after the absorption of global shocks.