Regional classification and competitiveness of port cluster: a case study of China's coastal ports

Abstract

ABSTRACT Many studies on port competitiveness try to understand which aspects will affect the competitive performance of ports. However, there are few studies from the perspective of port clusters. This paper, by reviewing the history of port competitiveness research to explain the need for research in the context of port clusters, and construct an indicator system from the perspective of port cluster development in terms of port throughput capacity, scale, development potential and intra-cluster development environment. The entropy TOPSIS method is used to objectively evaluate the competitiveness level of each port within the major port clusters in China and try to improve the Boston matrix model to identify each port type. We found that from 2014 to 2019, cash cow ports such as Shanghai Port, Shenzhen Port, and Ningbo Zhoushan Port maintained great development status. The port competitiveness of the Bohai Bay Port cluster is not prominent, while the port competitiveness of the Yangtze River Delta port cluster and Pearl River Delta port cluster shows obvious polarisation. The prediction results based on the improved Boston matrix model are consistent with the actual situation of port development, which can assist future decision-making. The results reveal the relationship between cooperation and competition in the process of port integration.