THE IMPACT OF PORT LOGISTICS SYSTEMS ON A COUNTRY’S COMPETITIVENESS (CASE OF SMALL COUNTRIES)

Abstract

Globalization processes determine the necessity to ascertain and use effectively the competitive advantages of port logistics systems on national and international levels.The purpose of the research is to analyse the impact of port logistics systems using the concept of port-centric logistics systems in small countries with the aim to increase their competitiveness.The use of the term “a logistics system” has been determined; therefore, it is expedient to describe the comprehensive application of the term “a logistics system”, which by implication must cover all elements of 8R principle. The authors ascertained competitiveness forms of port-centric logistics systems, dictated by the levels of the competition between ports: between whole ranges of ports or coastlines, ports in different countries, individual ports in the same country, operators or providers of facilities within the same port and between different modes of transport. The activities of port logistics systems must be investigated in a complex manner taking into account the factors and levels of a country’s competitiveness. Considering the particularity of port logistics systems, its functionality and effectiveness, a country’s economic growth and competitiveness are based on logistic flexibility. However, the particularity of a country’s economy determines the forms and nature of interconnections and processes in the structure of port logistics systems. Therefore, the competitive advantage of a small country could be generated through the improvement of effectiveness rates and indexes of the activities of port logistics systems.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.em.19.1.5612