Seaport Industry Research Articles

Data-driven study of container handling charges in coastline ports of China

With the rapid development of networking and digitization, the data generated by various industries has shown exponential growth. The seaport industry is the fundamental industry to support the operation of the national economy, and undertakes the vast majority of China's foreign trade, materials, and coal transport along the sea. In response to some of China's major seaports of container handling charges for different extent of the upward event. In this paper, by researching the main seaports of China's coastal ports, we have obtained the level of container handling charge, and operating cost of container section. Meanwhile, this paper combines the reform history of China's port container charging policy and the comparison of domestic and foreign charging levels to discover the cost structure of the container handling charges. It establishes the benchmark for the optimization of the container handling charges. Utilizing data analysis related to production and operations, this paper proposes an optimization method of container handling charges based on the cost analysis of container port companies with macro and micro coupling and puts forward effective suggestions on this basis. This paper suggests the establishment of a mechanism for regulating container handling charges. It also proposes a mechanism for monitoring and regular announcement of container costs.

Barriers to blockchain adoption in the seaport industry: A fuzzy DEMATEL analysis.

Blockchain technology, marked as a disruptive force across various sectors, including seaport logistics, faces challenges and obstacles that impede its effective adoption. We aim to empirically identify the significant barriers impeding blockchain adoption in the seaport industry and elucidate the interconnected relationships between these impediments. Utilizing the Fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory Analysis (Fuzzy DEMATEL) technique, we quantify the cause-and-effect relationships between various barriers to blockchain adoption. Structured interviews involving 18 experts were conducted, collecting both qualitative interview data and quantitative data. The nature of ports and the maritime industry did not seem to be accurately reflected in the literature about blockchain adoption, presenting several new findings in this study. Four primary obstacles were identified: 1) Lack of management support and commitment. 2) Issues in supply chain collaboration, communication and coordination. 3) Resistance from and lack of involvement of external stakeholders. 4) The high cost. Furthermore, cost was reaffirmed as a significant factor influencing blockchain adoption. We enhance existing literature by revealing the interdependencies among identified barriers and offers insights for policymakers and industry practitioners. We aim to foster successful blockchain integration in the seaport industry, improving its sustainability performance. During this research, it has been acknowledged by the business sector that the effective employment of business process re-engineering (BPR) and the strategic implementation of blockchain technology are crucial strategies to surmount the obstacles that have impeded the extensive integration of blockchain within port operations.

A Systematic Review of Computer Vision and AI in Parking Space Allocation in a Seaport

Urban expansion has ushered in a landscape of opportunities and challenges across housing, transportation, education, health, and the economy. In response to these evolving dynamics, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision (CV) technologies has emerged as a transformative solution. While smart traffic monitoring and advanced parking distribution systems have eased urban pressures, optimizing mobility remains pivotal in the context of burgeoning smart cities. However, the seaport industry grapples with formidable issues in the efficient transport of containers. In light of this, the fusion of AI and CV technology holds promise as a solution. This study pioneers a systematic review, representing a novel exploration, delving into a comprehensive evaluation of the existing literature. It scrutinizes the profound advantages AI and CV offer in constructing sustainable, efficient parking ecosystems within seaports. Our methodological approach encompasses data collection, rigorous quality assessment, and meticulous exploration of the application of CV and AI in the realm of smart parking management. The findings underscore the pivotal role of AI and CV technologies in the development of efficient, sustainable transportation systems, particularly for optimizing container movement within seaports. This research presents a comprehensive analysis of the literature in the area of the application of AI and CV technologies in optimizing parking management at seaports, shedding light on the potential for sustainable transportation solutions in this critical domain. As these technologies usher in enhancements in traffic management, parking space allocation, and container logistics within seaports, this study represents a vital and timely contribution to the field, serving as a cornerstone for future innovations in seaport management and the broader context of smart cities.

MARITIME MUSEUMS VS SEAPORT MUSEUMS NAVIGATING THE EVOLUTION FROM MARITIME PORT BUSINESS TO THE MARITIME TOURISM INDUSTRY

Ocean-based countries has more advantages compare to a landlock regions where there face challenges on the access to the oceanography activities. Beyond major maritime trading and transportation business, maritime tourism business is one of the economically contributing sectors for coastal region nations. The main aim of this paper is to (a) identify the role of seaport museum and maritime museum, (b) to explore the benefits of seaport museum and maritime museum towards seaport industry, (c) proposing a framework for the future research direction on seaport tourism as a complementary business opportunity for seaport industry. Bibliometric analysis technique was adopted with VoS viewer, and a content analysis on 30 research articles were performed to derive the results and then coded with NVivo 12 software. The result shows that, there are nine key measurement factors needed to be considered to archive the objectives. Seaport museum and maritime museum are not the same, whereas maritime museum only focuses on all the sea-based artifacts while seaport museum focuses on the specific sea-based artifacts which are in the port limits. Moreover, both the museums encourage the port city development and have a high impact to the seaport revenue generation.

Forecasting future electric power consumption in Busan New Port using a deep learning model

As smart and environmentally friendly technologies and equipment are introduced in the sea port industry, electric power consumption is expected to rapidly increase. However, there is a paucity of research on the creation of electric power management plans, specifically in relation to electric power consumption forecasting, in ports. In order to address this gap, this study forecasts future electric power consumption in Busan New Port (South Korea's largest container port) and, comparing this with the current standard electric power supply capacity, investigated the feasibility of maintaining a stable electric power supply in the future. We applied a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model trained using electric power consumption and throughput data of the last 10 years to forecast the future electric power consumption of Busan New Port. According to the results, electric power consumption is expected to increase at an annual average of 4.9 % until 2040, exceeding the predicted annual 4.7 % increase in throughput during the same period. Given these results, the current standard electric power supply capacity is forecast to reach only 35 % of demand in 2040, indicating that additional electrical power supply facilities will be needed for stable port operation in the future.

Econometric Evidence of Catalytic Effect of Seaport Activity in OECD Countries: Getting It Right

Within the transportation sector, ships and seaports constitute a significant portion. During the last decade, there has been a rise in the containerization era. This paper quantifies the relationship between seaport activity and GDP per capita while addressing Cross-sectional Dependence and slope heterogeneity issues in 28 OECD countries from 2000 to 2019. Suitable proxies for economic development and seaport activity are subjected to panel data analysis. Cross-Sectionally Augmented Autoregressive Distributed Lag is used, and Common Correlated Effects Mean Group and Augmented Mean Group are employed for the Robustness check. Seaport activity has a positive long-term relationship with income per capita. Country-specific effects are also used to highlight the relative strength of the relationship across sample countries. Panel Granger causality shows the feedback effect between seaport activity and GDP per capita. Causality is also investigated using the Dumitrescu-Hurlin causality test, which is suitable for heterogeneous panels in the presence of cross-sectional dependence. Recommendations include the lessons for carefully appraised investments and standardization of operations in the seaport industry in OECD countries.

Strategy making in hyper uncertainty: towards a conceptual framework from the seaport industry during Brexit

PurposeThis study aims to systematically review strategy making in the seaport context during a period of hyper uncertainty.Design/methodology/approachA systematic review using the context, intervention, method and outcome (CIMO) framework is conducted in the domains of strategy making and the port sector taking account of hyper uncertainty caused by Brexit.FindingsStrategy making (under conditions of hyper uncertainty) is shown to evolve from both stakeholder/supply chain embedded relationships and from chief executive officer and extra organisational inputs. Through an iterative process of internal resourcing, stakeholder engagement strategy development can be seen to impact five key outcomes of an emerging strategy making under hyper uncertainty: economic returns; societal and regional impacts; deeper improved market engagement; improved environmental sensing and potential for dynamic capability development.Research limitations/implicationsThe systematic review integrates the existing fragmented research landscape regarding strategy making under hyper uncertainty, provides future research trajectories and develops a framework emerging from the review.Practical implicationsThe framework offers port management and policymakers a tool to improve their engagement with strategy making under hyper uncertainty and associated outcomes.Originality/valueThe systematic review consolidates the fragmented literature and presents future research trajectories. The framework of strategy making under hyper uncertainty developed from the CIMO framework develops existing knowledge and contributes to academic theory.

The fourth industrial revolution: a catalyst for regional development in Malaysian seaport sector

ABSTRACT Seaports enable national and international trade in nearly every country around the globe. The new digital world has led most seaport sectors to fully embrace new technologies and tools to better compete with other seaports. Moreover, such maritime activities have potentially significant effects on regional development. The east coast region in Peninsular Malaysia is less developed than the west coast region. It has caused a significant regional development gap, particularly in infrastructure quality, community services, production volume diversification, job opportunities and rising average wealth. Firstly, this study assesses how economic activities affect regional development in Peninsular Malaysia. Secondly, this study aims to identify the challenges and strategies for resolving the regional development imbalance in Peninsular Malaysia. A semi-structured face-to-face interview with fifteen maritime experts was adopted to achieve the proposed objectives. Interview outcomes helped identify and resolve significant problems and create strategies to facilitate the regional development of Malaysian seaports. IR 4.0: These novel strategies may lead to digitalisation in decision-making methods concerning regional development in the Malaysian seaport sector. Integrating four approaches could increase the regional development progress and facilitate continuous growth for the Malaysian seaport industry. The new findings recommend Malaysian seaport digitalisation through progressive regional development.

Evolution of Industrial Revolution 4.0 in seaport system: an interpretation from a bibliometric analysis

ABSTRACT Industrial Revolution (IR) 4.0 has been emerged and widely implemented in manufacturing sectors; however, the adaptation of this recent paradigm remains indefinite in the seaport system and makes the performance of each seaport around the globe non-parallel, limiting the trade effectiveness and decelerating the competitiveness, which eventually affects the price of the cargo. Consequently, this paper aims to determine the current status of IR 4.0 implementation in the seaport sector and to categorise the most critical sustainable factors (CSFs). To meet the aim of this paper, a bibliometric analysis from two major databases, Scopus and Web of Sciences, has been utilised. The result indicates that there are four stages that need to be considered for the implementation of IR 4.0 in the seaport industry: adoption, implementation, operational and evaluation. Currently, IR 4.0 in the expanding phase was applied at the stage of adoption. The outcome of this paper can be used as a benchmark to explore, analyse and vindicate the significant variables for the implementation of the fourth industrial revolution in the seaport sector especially from the Malaysian outlook.

Digitalization and new technologies for sustainable business models at the ship–port interface: a bibliometric analysis

ABSTRACT Drawing on the business model innovation theory and the resilience theory, the present study explores existing literature on the capacity of digitalization and new technologies for the sustainable and innovative development of shipping and seaports; more in details, it identifies the shipping and seaport business models that can meet environmental, economic and social goals through the digitalization of operational processes in the ship–port interface. This paper aims to investigate whether digitalization and new technologies can help in the creation of sustainable business models as set out in the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by all UN member states in 2015. The methodology is based on a qualitative approach, conducting a systematic literature review followed by a bibliometric analysis of a database containing 132 items in English language publications between 1969 and 2020. The findings indicate that literature on the topic has concentrated mainly on the environmental externalities connected with operations at the ship–port interface. The study offers theoretical and practical contributions, outlining the main issues debated in the literature on digitalization and new technologies in the shipping and seaport industry, and analyses the key variables that will play a role in achieving the SDGs.

Malaysia Seaport Development towards Embracing Industrial Revolution 4.0: Enhancing the Quality and Competitiveness of Seaport Industry

Seaport industry is a dynamic industry which is experiencing a rapid growth. Industrial Revolution 4.0 merges the digital, physical and biological system to enhance the capabilities of the industry. It creates a platform which enables the seaport industry to build its effectiveness, reliability and governance towards improving the quality of seaport services. Accordingly, the evolution of seaport services entails the application of technologies so that the industry can fulfil its customer satisfaction goals. In line with this notion, the purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between Industrial Revolution 4.0 and the quality of seaport services. This research employed the quantitative content analysis, covering seaport effectiveness, seaport reliability and seaport governance. The respondents of this research comprised expert individuals within the seaport industry cluster. The results revealed that there is a significant correlation between the adaption of IR 4.0 and seaport quality. This research offers a truly novel policy innovation towards achieving seaport competitiveness.

Macroeconomics and development of seaport. Case of Vietnam

Seaport industry plays an important role in local and national economic development. The development of the seaport industry creates a competitive advantage, promotes international trade and speeds up the integration process of nations, especially in developing countries. Many studies have noted the importance of seaports to economic development. Economic development is also one of the crucial factors in seaport development. Economic growth will promote domestic production and improve investment efficiency. The development of import and export activities directly affects the supply of goods and the scale of operations of seaports; the increasing in industrial-agricultural output will increase the volume of goods, thereby promoting the seaport industry. This research analyses the relationship between economic growth, export-import operations, industry & agriculture to cargo through ports based on statistical data for the period 2000–2019. This study selects the case of Vietnam, a developing economy with a long coastline along with the country, and its shipping capacity ranked 4th in the ASEAN region.

The Strategic Positioning of Moroccan Seaports: An Application of the Boston Consulting Group Growth-share Matrix

Background: Under the current challenges of global and regional changing environments in the seaport industry faced by market players and the increase of competition among port business entities, the necessity of pursuing a competitive strategic positioning by strategic business units is a compulsory plan to ensure constructive and sustained growth. Aims and Objectives: In this context, the purpose of this study is to analyze the competitive position of the eight (largest, most important, busiest) seaports of Morocco in the four-years period from 2014 to 2017 using a dynamic portfolio analysis known as the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix. This study aims to overcome the regional challenges that have a substantial impact on seaport activities by highlighting competitive strategic positioning, which will enable seaport operators to visualize the position of selected ports, monitor their progress, and predict the future trends of the studied ports. Results: The finding reveals the competitive strategic positioning of analyzed ports is varying over the studied period. Conclusion: The Tangier MED, Jorf Lasfar and Casablanca ports were found to be stars in 2017, while in 2015 they had a combined position of stars and cash cows. Other studied seaports were found to be in an unfavorable strategic position.

Application of game theory to analyze the competition and cooperation scenarios among container terminals in Northern Vietnam

Northern Vietnam plays an important role in Vietnam's national economy. In recent years, the sea-port industry in the area has witnessed an impressive development and fierce competition especially among local container terminals. Under the pressure of competition, local container ports are competing through attractive handling charges. The paper applies a Bertrand-Nash game model to estimate the equilibrium handling charges and equilibrium market share of each container terminal in the area. The game can be divided into non-cooperative game and cooperative game. Under the cooperative game, three different scenarios are considered. The game results will verify the implication of price competition among local container terminals and present the outcome of each coalitional scenario for further discussion.

The Performance Analysis of Container Terminals in Vietnam using DEA-Malmquist

Seaports play a vital role in the economic development of countries, especially for countries having long coastlines such as Vietnam .Seaport industry in Vietnam has witnessed an impressive development in recent years. The national cargo throughput in the period 2013-2017 achieved a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8%/year, higher than that of the world (5.1%). However, the differences in planning policies and infrastructure systems has led to the differences in port performance efficiency of regional ports. Therefore, it is necessary to have a general and accurate view of the picture of Vietnam’s seaport. The objective of this study was to analyze the relative efficiencies of 26 Vietnam container terminals using traditional output-oriented CCR and BCC DEA model. Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) was also applied to evaluate changes in container terminals productivity over time.

Executive capability for innovation: the Irish seaports sector

PurposeThis paper aims to develop a framework of executive capability for innovation in the Irish seaport context.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses an approach based on a critical review of literature. The paper takes the form of a critical review of academic literature, focussed by dynamic managerial capabilities theory. Specifically, the work of Lawson and Samson (2001) is drawn on to frame executive capability for innovation.FindingsThe framework proposes that the executive capability for innovation in the Irish seaport sector emerges as a dynamic managerial capability. The framework is dynamic in nature with environmental feedback loops inhibiting and enabling executive capability development. Supply chain innovation emerges from the framework based on an interpretation of executive capability emerging from Lawson and Samson (2001).Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is entirely conceptual in nature. Future empirical research taking a qualitative approach is necessary. Further, an alternative theoretical perspective to that of dynamic managerial capabilities would offer new conceptual insight.Practical implicationsThe paper contributes to executive practice through providing a framework of executive capability for innovation facilitating dialogue between executive practitioners and academic theory. Policymakers are challenged to contemplate the framework as a means of transforming competitiveness in an industry identified as foundational to Irish economic development.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to an emerging area of interest in the academic literature in the area of executive capability for innovation. Specifically, the paper argues the unique contextual nature of executive capability for innovation in the context of the seaport industry.

Determinants of the long-term performance of initial public offerings (IPOs) in the port industry

Market players active in the port industry deploy a range of financial sources to meet the growing investment requirements in port infrastructure and to fund their (overseas) expansion strategies. Recent empirical evidence shows that equity capital markets are expected to extend their role in this regard.This paper deals with the long-term performance of IPOs in the seaport industry as a strategic financial dimension for determining the success/failure of the issuance. The study goes beyond general finance theories on IPO performance as it places institutional theory side by side with informational asymmetry theories and symmetric information theories to assess the determinants of long term IPOs’ success in the port domain.The paper presents an overarching conceptual framework for addressing IPO performance, thereby focusing on the explanatory power of “financial markets”, “institutional factors” and “industry specific variables”. An ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis is performed on a dataset of over 90 port-related IPOs to test the antecedents of the long-term performance of port-related IPOs.The performance of extant IPOs is expected to influence both the capacity of ports and terminal operating companies to gather additional financial resources from equity capital markets in the future, and the related cost of funding. In addition, it may shape the attitude of private investors toward this equity asset class.

Dockworkers’ Resistance and Union Reform within China’s Globalised Seaport Industry

This study examines the prominent 2013 Yantian dock strike in China and analyses the main factors contributing to the dockers’ successful campaign. It finds that the dockers’ capacity to take strike action mainly derives from their bargaining power, including structural power such as workplace bargaining power and logistical power, and their institutional power such as workers’ sense of moral power. More importantly, the event shows that the extent of dockworkers’ resistance, workplace union reform, and employers’ response were shaped by the globalisation of production in China’s seaport industry and the transformation of political economy in East Asia.

Logistics resources in seaport performance: multi-criteria analysis

Studying the logistics resource relationship within the framework of the overall performance of the main Iberian seaports performance, this article discusses how to apply the linear additive multi-criteria analysis (MCA) model and principal component analysis (PCA) to such an industry. The model incorporates the contribution of two different performance indicators—operational performance and physical capacity—measured by several indicators. First, we gather the 2009 annual data on the total cargo throughput of 16 seaport container terminals. The PCA method is then applied to attain the loading factor of each indicator and to normalize the redundancy in indicators and thereby generate meaningful results. We correspondingly find (a) operational performance contributed 48.77% while the physical capacity contributed 51.23% to overall performance; (b) the majority of seaports reveal a direct proportionality between their positioning in terms of physical capacity and their overall performance positioning; (c) this relationship changes whenever the difference in indicator value proves significant; and hence (d) this model demonstrates both its applicability and reliability in the case of the Iberian seaport industry and the relevance of encouraging multiple decision-makers to carefully consider identifying key criteria out of a given set of alternatives.

Static and dynamic strategic portfolio analysis: The positioning of Iberian seaports

The various changes that have occurred in the seaport industry have had a continuous and substantial impact on seaport activities and management in recent decades. The highly competitive and rapidly changing environment faced by business has greatly increased the need for strategic planning. Thus, it is relevant and appropriate to apply strategic positioning tools to seaports given how competitive strategies play a key role in the growth and development of this industry. This research aims to analyse the strategic positioning of the leading Iberian Peninsula seaports using the BCG matrix from a static and dynamics perspective for the period between 1997 and 2008. The findings reveal a better positioning of Spanish seaports in relation to total traffic. Furthermore, considering container traffic, the results point to the seaports of Algeciras, Valencia and Barcelona as having attained a remarkable position of leadership. However, according to the time series analysed, the ranking of seaports has not changed significantly.