Managing Maritime Container Ports’ Sustainability: A Reference Model

Cezary Mańkowski,Jędrzej Charłampowicz

doi:10.3390/su131810030

Cezary Mańkowski, Jędrzej Charłampowicz

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810030

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Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: Sep 7, 2021
Citations: 1	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Gdańsk, Gdynia Maritime University

Abstract

The concept of sustainable development is one of the few ideas that require the integration of all areas of human life on earth in order to maintain further development without major disruptions. One such area is maritime transport, including maritime container ports. Their unique feature is the ability to combine equivalent types of transport within the framework of a cargo-handling system with related information. In order to ensure a sustainable shipping flow through ports, it is necessary to integrate management knowledge with IT knowledge, so as to build a reference model of sustainable management of transshipment in maritime container ports. The literature has neglected this problem, thus motivating our contribution to this matter. As a result of the research work undertaken, a sustainable transshipment management system is first defined as a whole unit which develops its subsystems in a harmonious way without compromising them in the process. Then, the form of the reference model is given in detail. Therefore, we suggest that the system and its constituent elements constitute a method for sustainably managing the transshipment process.

Highlights

One such area is maritime transport, including maritime container ports
The issue of sustainable development is multi-faceted and multi-level, and concerns a variety of research topics; one of these is maritime container ports. Their importance for a sustainable economy is shown by the following data: around 80% of the volume of international trade in goods is carried by maritime transport, and this percentage is even higher for most developing countries
If the object of reference modelling is to be a system, general systems theory should form the methodological basis; If the research task is to build a reference model, it is necessary to identify and select an appropriate reference modelling architecture, standard and tool; If the modelled system is to address the sustainable management of transshipment in a maritime container port, the general systems theory should be detailed to the level of the theory of sustainable management of transshipment by such ports; If the sustainability of operational, tactical and strategic decisions related to the transshipment process in these ports depends on the possibility of achieving consensus among stakeholders, it is necessary to discuss the methods of achieving such a consensus

Summary

Introduction

One such area is maritime transport, including maritime container ports. Their unique feature is the ability to combine equivalent types of transport within the framework of a cargo-handling system with related information. The issue of sustainable development is multi-faceted and multi-level, and concerns a variety of research topics; one of these is maritime container ports Their importance for a sustainable economy is shown by the following data: around 80% of the volume of international trade in goods is carried by maritime transport, and this percentage is even higher for most developing countries. Whether listed in the ranking or not, ports play an important, if not critical, role in global supply chains, a fact tangibly confirmed during the COVID-19 pandemic This criticality of their role results from their basic function in the transshipment of goods, integrating sea transport with other modes of transport or with the stage of sea transport (e.g., short sea shipping).

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