Maritime Logistics Research Articles

Digital Twin-Enabled Smart Maritime Logistics Management in the Context of Industry 5.0

Digital Twin-Enabled Smart Maritime Logistics Management in the Context of Industry 5.0

Opportunities and Pathways for the Development of International Maritime Logistics Supply Chains Under the Belt and Road Initiative

In the implementation process of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), there has been a consistent augmentation in the openness of international maritime routes, concomitant with the fortification of logistical infrastructure. This dynamic has bestowed noteworthy prospects for the evolution and progression of international maritime logistics supply chains. It is imperative for pertinent sectors to capitalize on these developmental opportunities and to investigate pioneering reform pathways. This paper elucidates the strategic significance of the BRI, scrutinizes the developmental opportunities it confers upon international maritime logistics supply chains, and concomitantly proffers precise developmental pathways.

Prospects for the use of cryptocurrencies in international maritime logistics

This article analyzes the trends in the development of cryptocurrencies and considers the main trends in their use in international water logistics. The use of cryptocurrencies in recent years has become one of the responses to the opportunities and challenges of the modern global economy, as nowadays the global digitalization being introduced everywhere affects the development of almost all spheres of the economy. As a result of digitalization, new markets, forms of communication, goods and services have emerged. Active digitalization has led to the formation of a digital profile of a person, the requests of participants in the global economy to form alternative savings instruments, not correlated with the dynamics of traditional financial markets, new money equivalents that meet the current requirements of the digital economy and are more independent of the actions of the issuing countries. The emergence of cryptocurrencies was an attempt at a technological response to the emerging problems and challenges. The main purpose of this study is to study the role and prospects of using cryptocurrencies in modern international water logistics.

Developing Customer-Centric Marketing Strategies for Maritime Logistics

Developing Customer-Centric Marketing Strategies for Maritime Logistics

Chasing scale: the pasts and futures of mobility in electricity and logistics

In this article, I theorize the long arc of scaling as an enduring business logic in capitalism. I suggest that scaling concerns the creation of new distances in economic operations and the management of mobility for goods, services, and people. I further argue that automation indexes a continuation of scaling as the management of mobility—a practice that industrialists have inherited from the 20th century. While the scholarship on scalability has recently focused on Big Tech, I center my analysis on two older and less public-facing industries—electricity service and maritime logistics—both of which have been scalability’s pioneers and innovators from the 20th century onwards. Today, like many others, both industries look to automation to take scale to greater heights, as can be noted in the examples of energy aggregator technologies and automated guided vehicles used in unloading containers. For contemporary scaling industries, automation appears as a suitable ‘scalar device’ (Ribes 2014) especially where obstacles to the smooth mobility of goods, services, and people are perceived to occur due to human limitations in cognition and action. However, automated technologies, despite the sense of novelty they may impart, perpetuate old corporate ambitions of action-at-a-distance.

Безопасность данных в цифровых портах: вызовы и возможные решения

The article presents the results of analyzing the dynamics of growth of cyberattacks on the maritime logistics industry, which allowed to identify the key aspects of digital vulnerability of this industry. The relevance is due to the annual increase in the number of cyberattacks on the activities of digital seaports and the growing volume of economic losses from the occurrence of such events. The classification of threats to the digital environment was performed, the causes and potential economic consequences of these threats for the main participants of the logistics chain, including port operators and carriers, were clarified. The main digital tools aimed at reducing cyber vulnerability of digital ports and reducing economic losses are systematized and analyzed. It is conclud-ed that it is necessary and economically feasible to further develop and implement digital tools in the field of maritime logistics to improve its security and efficiency.

CONCEPTUAL PROVISIONS OF THE FORMATION OF CARGO FLOWS OF MARITIME TRANSPORT OF UKRAINE IN THE SECURITY MEASURE IN THE POST-WAR PERIOD

Topicality. Formation of cargo flows is an important component of modern logistics and supply chain. Today, the transport system, especially water transport, is in a state of turbulence. In modern conditions, when Ukraine is left without a key logistics chain, it is necessary to focus attention precisely on the importance and role of Ukrainian sea transport in the formation of cargo flows that ensure food security. That is why there is a need to review the economic approaches used to regulate cargo flows and the need to develop a general guiding course for the post-war recovery of maritime logistics traffic by shaping cargo flows in the context of the global sefety system.Aim and tasks. The purpose of the study is to develop conceptual provisions regarding the formation of cargo flows by maritime transport of Ukraine in the context of global security based on individual reference markets, in particular, types of cargo transportation in the post-war period. The tasks that must be solved in order to achieve the set goal: a) analysis of cargo flows and cargo volumes for the period from 2017 to 2023, to single out among the full nomenclature of cargoes the main markets that can be relied on in the post-war period, during the revival of maritime logistics traffic; b) give a brief description of the current state of the markets of selected cargoes; to develop and propose conceptual provisions for the formation of cargo flows in the context of global navigation sefety on the basis of reference markets.Materials and Methods. This study is based on the use of conceptual provisions on the formation of cargo flows to solve the problems of food security and the global shipping security system. The methods of: graphic method, statistical analysis, system analysis, economic analysis on the example of cargo flows of water transport are applied.Reserch results. The authors of the study conducted a thorough analysis of cargo flows of various types of products that can be exported abroad by sea transport. The indicators presented in the article highlight the economic trends of domestic cargo flows of products transported by the sea corridor. Thus, an analytical study of the formation of cargo flows in the section of each seaport of Ukraine for the period from 2017 to 2021, i.e. the pre-war period, was conducted. The importance and expediency of using Ukrainian sea transport in ensuring global cargo flows is substantiated. The authors formed a concept regarding the formation of cargo flows by maritime transport of Ukraine in terms of security.Conclusion. Thus, the borders of some EU countries remain closed for the export of Ukrainian grain (only transit to distant European ports), we believe that Ukraine should keep its sights on third countries that directly depend on domestic grain and agri-food, namely: Indonesia, the Philippines, Morocco, India, PSA (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore) and African countries. After russia broke the agreement and began massively destroying the port infrastructure of seaports and river ports on the Danube, the Government is now opening "temporary sea corridors" that carry out transportation under the protection of the Armed Forces Navy. Therefore, from August 2023, transshipment of grain and oil takes place exclusively through the "temporary grain corridor" and the Danube ports. The total amount of export of agricultural products amounted to 3.6 million tons, out of the planned 6 million tons.

Effect of shipping company demographic characteristics on cabotage vessel finance and repayment in Nigeria

The research examined the effect of shipping company demographic characteristics on cabotage vessel finance and repayment in Nigeria. The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have been concerned about the inability of the Ship Acquisition and Ship Building Fund (SASBF) beneficiaries to pay back disbursed loans fully, resulting in the suspension of further disbursement of the fund required for the development of Nigerian local content capacity. The Cabotage Act 2003 was intended for local content development of shipping and maritime logistics capacity. The fund realized through a 2% surcharge on cabotage trade has accrued since inception, but no shipowner has benefited from the CVFF loan. The study relied on both primary and secondary data. Data was collected through a well-structured questionnaire. The study utilized a Statistical Product Service Solution (SPSS v. 23) and a one-sample chi-square test as statistical tools for data analysis. The results reveal that demographic characteristics of shipping companies, such as age, number of vessels, number of employees and total annual revenue, significantly influence CVFF loan repayment. Purpose: To identify and analyze the shipping company demographic characteristics which influence cabotage vessel finance and repayment in Nigeria. The findings suggested practical steps for effective CVFF loan disbursement and reliable loan recovery. Methodology: The study utilized Statistical Product Service Solution (SPSS v. 23) and a one-sample chi-square test as statistical tools for data analysis. Results: The demographic characteristics of a shipping company, such as company age in years, number of employees, share capital, number of vessels and shipyards as well as the age of vessels and shipyards has a significant influence on her Character, Capacity, Credibility, Capital, Conditions, Collateral and Creditworthiness of the organization. Theoretical contribution: The research contributed to exploring, understanding, and applying the probability of credit default theory in shipping finance loan repayment. The demographic internal microeconomic organization Character, Capacity, Credibility, Capital, Conditions, Collateral and Creditworthiness significantly affects the ability of CVFF fund beneficiaries to repay the loans. Practical implications: Prospective borrower indigenous maritime operators should be duly and professionally evaluated to ensure sustainable cash flow and revenue projection during and after granting CVFF loans to guarantee complete repayment.

Decreasing Demurrage Time by Increasing Port Service Level and Utilities Considering Crane Formation Using Discrete Simulation

Maritime logistics has a great influence on large-scale economic development. Maritime logistics has the largest logistics flow in Indonesia. Economic development can be seen by how much logistics flow in an area. The distribution of logistics using sea transportation must be controlled effectively and efficiently so that the flow of material does not stop or be disrupted. Teluk Lamong Terminal is the only green smart terminal in Surabaya, so there are many requests for ships to lean on the pier. The method of this research is to conduct a survey and collect information about the main activities of loading and unloading ships docking at the pier, the number of cranes used, the current crane formation (before improvement) and problems in the operation of containers. After that, create a simulation model that will be developed using Simulation Software that has inputted entities, activities, and model resources according to their actual activities. Scenario results improvements 1 to 4, the selection of crane formations in serving container ship loading and unloading is the most effective in scenario 3, namely by setting 3 cranes to serve 1 berthing ship and 2 cranes to serve 1 berthing ship. In scenario 3 with the simulation results obtained that the ship’s effective time at the dock was 9.19 hours and the demurrage time for container loading and unloading was 13.79 hours. Furthermore, crane utilization value is in scenario 3 with the results obtained from the simulation of 18.21%.

Optimizing Voyage Costs in Maritime Supply Chains: A Holistic Approach Towards Logistics Service Improvement and Supply Chain Finance

Abstract The multi-objective optimization for voyage planning, which aims to balance time, fuel utilization, and all other relevant service costs, is noticeably absent in the scientific literature. The reason behind this gap is closely linked to the involvement of a large number of participants with conflicting interests in the process. This complexity explains why modelling an optimization tool for maritime logistics services appears challenging. Although new technologies such as blockchains and smart contracts have helped reduce the number of participants and address some complexities, they cannot fully resolve the fragmentation observed in maritime transport. To address the need for optimized voyage management for vessels, this study takes a holistic approach to voyage costs within the maritime supply chain, similar to how a single company would approach it. The study combines a case study from the container shipping industry, expert interviews, project results, and secondary empirical data research to develop a financial model for optimizing voyage costs. The research opens up opportunities for improving logistics services and developing new business models in the field of supply chain finance.

Bibliometric Analysis of Research Development on Green Port Implementation in 2015-2023

The port is one of the crucial factors in maritime logistics. Green port innovation aims to increase the efficiency of existing resources, reduce the negative impact of the surrounding environment, increase environmental management, and improve the quality of the natural environment around the port. The number of scientific publications regarding green ports proves that this topic has become a global scientific publication trend. Unfortunately, the focus or pressure points of the various publications are so varied that it is difficult to know the consistency and cohesion between discussions and Indonesia as the author's country has not done much research on the application of green ports. Therefore, this study aims to look at trends in global scientific publications regarding the application of green ports in the hope that the interrelationships between concepts and topic shifts from time to time can be identified. The method used is bibliometric analysis. The population of this study was 200 articles searched for data using the Publish or Perish (PoP) application from 2015-2023; 131 articles were obtained as samples that matched the keywords obtained. Researchers used VOSviewer software version 1.6.16 to perform co-occurrence analysis with overlay and network visualization. The results of the VOSviewer software vulnerability analysis have four themes related to the implementation of green ports, namely "regulation," "Shore power," "logistics," and "green port policy," which are still rarely researched and are the latest themes in research. This theme can be used as a reference for further study.

Designing Supply Chain Resilience with a Quality Function Deployment Approach: A Case Study in a Shipping Line Company

Supply chain resilience is needed for companies to be able to reduce the impact of risks that can occur to the company. The purpose of this study is to analyze supply chain resilience in a shipping line company, which is one of the players in the maritime logistics industry. This research adopts a Quality Function Deployment (QFD) approach that considers customer needs and maritime risks. The results of this study identified 15 customer needs and obtained 3 priority customer needs, namely no errors on invoices and B/L, professional shipping services and easy and realtime tracking of goods shipments. 18 risks have been identified and 3 risk priorities have been obtained, namely damage to communication devices, handling errors and delays in handling documents or goods by EMKL. 26 causes of risk have been identified and 3 priority causes of risk have been identified, namely lack of skill and accuracy of employees, server disruption and lack of work motivation in employees. Based on the analysis that has been carried out in the previous sections, there are 18 resilience measures as risk mitigation that can be carried out by companies. The following are the top-ranked resilience measures, including providing training on sending and receiving goods, establishing good communication with customers and providing training on how to communicate well.

Performance analysis of LogisticChain: A blockchain platform for maritime logistics

The application of blockchain and smart contracts has been widely acknowledged as essential in digitised logistics, offering improved traceability, transparency, and efficiency. However, concerns regarding performance and implementation limitations persist. To demonstrate the challenges regarding the performance and efficiency of blockchain in logistics use cases, this study presents a proof-of-concept model by leveraging the Hyperledger Fabric blockchain network to emulate the shipping logistics process and illustrate the automated and self-executing nature of smart contracts and transactions among various logistics participants by implementing RAFT consensus mechanism. Utilizing Hyperledger Caliper, this study evaluates the performance by systematically adjusting parameters including the number of clients, the number of concurrent transactions, and transaction rates per second. Then nuanced variations in latency, send rate, and throughput are examined. Preliminary findings indicate significant performance impacts related to client numbers and transaction rates per second. When exceeding the processing capacity, the average latency of transactions experiences an exponential increase due to limited resources. Furthermore, different types of operations are compared, with Read operations exhibiting the lowest latency and Update operations displaying the highest latency due to the complex computations and validations involved. Lastly, the latency measures of the LogisticChain network between fixed-rate and linear-rate controllers are compared, highlighting lower latency with fixed-rate controllers. This research contributes to the advancement of knowledge in this field by developing open-source codes specifically tailored for maritime logistics use cases.

Comprehensive cyber security for port and harbor ecosystems

Global maritime transportation and logistics systems are essential parts of critical infrastructures in every society, and a crucial part of maritime logistics processes are seaports. In the coming years, digitalization and increased levels of autonomy in logistic transport chains are expected to take leaps forward. This development can help create safer, more efficient, more sustainable, and more reliable service chains to meet the requirements for a better quality of life and global prosperity. Port and harbor operations connect the maritime transport to other modes of transportation and enable multimodal transportation. Smart ports play a central role in future transport logistics and supply chains. Digitalization helps improve the efficiency of terminal systems in the processes of these ports. In the best cases, digitalization can also promote the reduction of emissions by optimizing port operations and enhancing cargo and people flows while improving the experience for all stakeholders. The improvement of port processes relies on the development of information and communication technology (ICT) as well as on industrial control systems (ICS) and operation technologies (OT). At the same time, the cyber security of maritime logistics also needs to be addressed. This article presents our findings related to the Sea4Value research goal on cyber security, which is a comprehensive cyber security architecture for port services at the system level. The article emphasizes the importance of a system of systems approach in terms of a comprehensive cyber security management process for port ecosystems. The description and recognition of management steps of every stakeholder are the key elements in this kind of process.

Supporting Informed Public Reactions to Shipping Incidents with Oil Spill Potential: An Innovative Electronic Platform

The analysis of the 2002 Prestige tanker accident showed how public misinformation can worsen marine pollution incidents, rendering their management suboptimal as these evolve, thus raising the issue of appropriately informing and educating coastal and island populations who are at risk. Two decades later, developments in electronic platforms, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the Automatic Identification System (AIS) for ship signal transmission, and social media, provide a set of means for public monitoring of such incidents, creating the possibility to antagonise effectively erroneous or malevolent information, which can hinder efficient actions for containing marine pollution risks even without active training of the populations concerned. The authors, in the framework of the development of the Marine Coastal Observatory and Risk Management project “AEGIS+”, have developed E-S.A.V.E., an online innovative platform that (a) meets the needs of different users as revealed by a survey run across groups of them, (b) uses a suitable Geographic Information System (GIS) environment, (c) cooperates with public authorities, for the reliable update of automated systems, and (d) employs an artificial intelligence (AI)-supported tool for social media monitoring; the platform also provides educational resources and information on national and international resources on marine environmental protection and sustainable maritime logistics.

A comprehensive performance measurement model for maritime Logistics: Sustainability and policy approach

Maritime logistics is the glue that links the fragmented production model of the global value chain and carries paramount importance for accelerating the international trade of a country. However, there is no specific set of indicators for measuring the maritime logistics performance (MLP) as the popular indexes such as the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) or the Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (LSCI) are either too broad to capture the specific performance of maritime logistics, or too narrow to incorporate all the functional areas of MLP. This article addresses this gap and proposes a comprehensive performance measurement model for maritime logistics. The study attributes extensive literature review and experts’ opinions for developing the initial list of indicators. For extracting and validating the principal factors, the study adopts exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and has found nineteen indicators of the MLP. Based on the Eigenvalues, the indicators have been clustered under four principal factors namely- Port Performance, Shipping Connectivity, Hinterland Logistics, and Sustainability and Resilience. The model will be particularly helpful in understanding the functional areas, key performance indicators, and respective measurement scales of maritime logistics. Thus, it helps the policymakers to understand, evaluate, and accelerate the MLP of a country with appropriate policy mechanisms

Maritime logistics optimisation for predictive maintenance at offshore wind farms

For offshore wind farms, a move from a preventive and corrective maintenance regime to a predictive maintenance regime requires new methods for modelling approaches for maritime logistics planning. This paper presents an overview of the maritime logistics planning problem for a predictive maintenance regime and introduces the current state-of-the-art for operational research in the field of operation and maintenance at offshore wind farms. Findings are that a combination of the vessel resource scheduling problem for operation and maintenance at offshore wind farms with predictive analysis and digital twins is a promising future research step. A framework for a decision support tool is presented that will help bridge the gap, both with respect to the academic path, and the gap between academic research and industry.

Black Sea region in world grain trade and problematic aspects of development

The research objective is an analysis of the participation of the Black Sea Basin countries (Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria and Romania) in world grain trade. We started this research before the start of Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, and completed it during these actions, so we have a vision of the situation before and after start of war. Subject of research: stability of grain supplies (wheat, corn, barley) from the Black Sea region as a whole and from some of its countries. Results of the research: The research revealed the growing role of the Black Sea region in the pre-war period in the world grain market and identified its key leaders. The share of the Black Sea region in world trade in wheat increased to 34%, barley – to 40,6%, corn – to 25,3% in 2019/2020 marketing year. The calculated coefficients of variation confirmed the decrease in the scattering of grain exports in 2015-2020 vs. 2010-2015, which indicates an increase in stability and reliability of supply in this period. The situation changed radically after the Russian invasion of Ukrainian territories. The maritime logistics corridors of Ukraine that is the one of the key players in this region, were blocked and started working only five months later, but not at full capacity. All these events had its destructive consequences for world trade, in particular, the increase in world prices, disruption of the stability of grain supplies from the Black Sea region and the destruction of established logistics corridors, etc.

Game relations between platform enterprises and participants of digital interaction-sharing platforms in the maritime logistics industry

Digital platforms simplify the complexities of day-to-day transactions in the maritime logistics industry and facilitate participants to seamlessly connect with each other. However, platform enterprises find it difficult to involve participants in their platforms. It is also challenging for these enterprises to share data out of consideration for participants’ privacy concerns, rights, and interests. To promote data sharing, this study intends to understand the strategies of both platform enterprises and participants based on a dynamic game model to provide policy implications to platform enterprises and the government. The main findings are as follows. First, when platform enterprises move first, they should subsidize key participants with high privacy costs to compensate for the negative externality of data. Second, in the early stages of building a platform, when supporting platform enterprises move first, they must subsidize both key participants with low privacy costs and general participants. Third, governments must introduce regulations and laws to govern the delimitation of data property rights.

Efficiency analysis of inland waterway locks in maritime transportation systems: practical, economic and policy implications

ABSTRACT Despite the potential cost reduction and environmental friendliness of inland lock waterways, there is a noticeable lack of scientific research on their efficiency and performance. Moreover, empirical insights into the impact of waterway locks on logistics systems are insufficient. Similarly, despite extensive research on data envelopment analysis (DEA) in various logistics contexts, the efficiency of waterway locks remains underexplored. This study addresses these gaps by evaluating inland waterway transposition efficiency based on operational aspects and handling capacity. In this study, data from nine primary inland waterway locks in an emerging economy were examined, comparing their relative efficiency by input-output relationships. Efficiency indices, performance objectives, benchmarks, composite efficiency, and separability conditions were calculated and analyzed. Our results highlight external factors like vessel numbers and volume as efficiency influencers. The study uncovers strategies to enhance efficiency, mainly through operational improvements or leveraging performance indices from other units. Empirical findings present opportunities to optimize maritime logistics operations, especially in countries with expansive territories. This is a novel research that introduces efficiency analysis models for inland waterway locks and offers actionable insights for an underexplored research area. Lastly, the article offers promising research opportunities for maritime logistics systems’ performance.