Management of the Transport Infrastructure of Global Logistics: Cross-Country Analysis

Abstract

In modern society, there is a constant development and improvement of the transport industry, due to which the role and distribution of this logistics industry, which is a service, is growing for the high-quality and fast delivery of goods. To maximize the export of finished products and more effective penetration into international markets around the world are organized by global logistics systems. This article summarizes the arguments and counterarguments within the scientific discussion on the place and prospects of management of the transport infrastructure of global logistics. The study’s main purpose is to confirm the hypothesis about the existence of global logistics clusters united by a common transport infrastructure in accordance with the geopolitical and economic features of the regions. In this regard, the array of input data is presented in the form of ten transport infrastructure indicators from databases of the World Bank and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The study of the transport infrastructure of global logistics in the article is carried out in the following logical sequence: the formation of an array of input data; input data normalization; determination of the integral index of the level of transport infrastructure’s development (principal component method); clustering (the k-means method) and interpretation of the obtained results. Forty-five European and Asian countries were selected as the object of the study from 2006 to 2020. The study empirically confirms the above hypothesis, evidenced by the identified integral index of the level of transport infrastructure’s development and qualitative composition of the obtained clusters. The road passenger transport indicator exerts the most significant influence on the integral index of transport infrastructure, air transport, passengers carried, container port traffic and railways, passengers carried. In general, during the studied period, countries were grouped into three and two clusters. The consolidation of clusters in 2020 indicates that the transport infrastructure of countries with an average level of economic development began to develop actively. In particular, this concerns the increased demand for road transport. The study results can be useful for public authorities and international organizations that provide services for managing the transport infrastructure of global logistics.