Abstract
ABSTRACTIn the context of increased scale of carriers and vessel sizes, stakeholder opposition to port expansion, and heavy regulation, ports prepare their strategic response. A port’s competitive strength strongly depends on its capability of developing or retaining competitive advantages. Ports consider options such as strategic partnerships, or any form of collaboration, which could help them to create more or alternative combinations of unique resources as sources of competitive advantage. Taking an extended resource base perspective, the competitive advantages of the Antwerp port cluster are analyzed, using both linear regression and factor analysis, for its integrated hinterland network area, on data of 59 port experts. The results of our analysis show that the port’s hinterland extension did not (yet) result in new sources of competitive advantages. This leads us to the reflection that we cannot assume integrated port clusters always lead to projected positive strategic outcomes.
Highlights
Ports currently face an environment characterized by increased scale of carriers and vessel sizes, stakeholder opposition to port expansion, and heavy regulation
This leads us to the reflection that we cannot assume integrated port clusters always lead to projected positive strategic outcomes
The contributions of the study are twofold: first, the present study aims to determine empirically, based on an extended version of Porter’s (1990) ‘diamond’ framework and on new data, the determinants of the competitive advantage of the Antwerp port cluster compared to its rivals
Summary
Ports currently face an environment characterized by increased scale of carriers and vessel sizes, stakeholder opposition to port expansion, and heavy regulation. A possible response could entail the development of strategic partnerships, or any form of collaboration, which could allow them to obtain one or more competitive advantages through more or alternative combinations of unique resources. This assumes that the specific type of collaboration does not lead to such a (low) level of competition, conflicting with antitrust regulation. Two types of collaboration exist: vertical and horizontal collaboration The former refers to collaboration along the supply chain or in the case of ports logistics chain, and which could be termed ‘coordination’.
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