Theo Notteboom

University of Antwerp / Ghent University / Antwerp Maritime Academy

Container liner shipping companies, under the international shipping carbon reduction indicators proposed by the International Maritime Organization, must transform two key aspects: technology and operations. This paper defines a green liner shipping problem (GLSP) that integrates the deployment of a heterogeneous fleet, speed determination, and fu...

This study examines how container shipping companies Maersk and MSC as B2B service providers effectively manage influencer marketing and implement managerial influencer marketing strategies within their industry. After the elaboration of a conceptual framework on constructs and protocols for effective influencer marketing, the Interval Type 2 Fuzzy...

Purpose This paper reviews and analyses renewable energy options, namely underground thermal, solar, wind and marine wave energy, in seaport cargo terminal operations. Design/methodology/approach Four renewable energy options that are deployed or tested in different ports around the world are qualitatively examined for their overall implementation...

The shipping industry must delineate feasible switching pathways of emission reduction technologies for vessels if it wants to meet the emission reduction targets set forth by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). This paper introduces a programming model integrating power systems, alternative fuels, and air emission control measures to de...

The decarbonization of the shipping industry is a critical imperative in the global fight against climate change. Non-EU countries, being significant contributors to shipping emissions, play a crucial role in shaping the industry's sustainable future. However, securing funding for shipping decarbonization initiatives in these countries presents cha...

Abstract Submission Deadline: April 30, 2024; Full Chapter Submission Deadline: August 30, 2024; Expected Publication Date: December 2024; Please send abstract to: ziaul.h.munim@usn.no

Speical issue call for papers on Remote control in autonomous shipping: technical, managerial and regulatory issues in the Journal of Shipping and Trade. Manuscript submission deadline: September 1, 2024

This paper analyses published research in port economics, policy and management (port studies) based on examining all relevant academic journal papers published from 2009 to 2020. The systematic review of all 1227 papers relies on quantitative and qualitative bibliometric tools to reveal the structures of the research community (i.e., authors’ coun...

In our latest work, we look at the impacts major disruptors might have on supply chain resilience, shipping, ports, and international trade. COVID-19, for instance, caused an initial contraction, followed by an inflationary peak in demand. For more than two years, ports and shipping were center stage in an unfolding global supply chain crisis. Our...

A number of the individual chapter authors have come together to provide an extended summary of many of the key points made in the book. This chapter provides a menu of possible actions for the reader to select from in pursuing their own decarbonization activities. It is also a way for the reader to identify which of the chapters are particularly r...

In a world where most international trade is carried by sea, each port can be seen as a unique chokepoint competing to attract ever more traffic and economic activities. However, ports can also be seen as parts of a wider system, which can be defined as a system of two or more ports located in proximity within a given area. Their fate and governanc...

The year 2020 will go down in history as the year of COVID-19. With the World Health Organization’s declaration of an International Pandemic on 11th March 2020, its social and economic consequences have spread globally as quickly as the virus itself and, in no small measure, the decease has ushered in a new normal which has yet to be fathomed. Conc...

Studies on the prospects of the use of alternative fuels in the maritime industry have rarely been assessed in the context of developing countries. This study assesses seven energy sources for shipping in the context of Bangladesh with a view to ranking their prospects based on sustainability as well as identifying the energy transition criteria. D...

The primary objective of this chapter is to identify the effects and implications of a major disruptor (the COVID-19 pandemic) on the activities, operations, management structure and performance of the international ports industry. The analysis is undertaken by positioning the immediate impact and potential longer-term implications of this signific...

Due to economic and geographical causes, the reformation of rail freight transport is now in progress in a number of countries. Railroads are ideal for moving huge quantities of non-bulk, specialised, and bulk cargo. Malaysia's rail network has developed in comparison to other modes. However, its administration and contributions are little research...

This study focuses on the automation of terminal equipment used to handle containers. A dataset was compiled, which includes 63 fully and semi-automated container terminals in operation around the world, their organizational features, technical dimensions, and the maritime and urban markets they serve. The data analysis focuses on where, when, unde...

Maritime shipping lines and global terminal operators have benefited from economies of scale to expand geographically and functionally their infrastructure, leading to a corporatized network. Terminal operators are key asset managers seeking value creation by expanding the global maritime container terminal infrastructure network. While corporatiza...

Shipping lines have recently been reshaping their operations to include more logistics integration, which could indicate a change in business strategy. This paper analyses recent developments in the strategic paths of Maersk Line, CMA CGM and MSC in the context of logistics integration and presents empirical findings on their strategic positions an...

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the implications of COVID-19 on container import flows via the US port distribution system. We employ statistics collected for more than 21 US ports and for more than 550,000 container shipments by Walmart and Nike to identify trends and potential shifts in the US port distribution system. Results unveil diff...

A port system is a system of two or more ports, located in proximity within a given area. In literature, various geographical and functional scales have been identified ranging from complete coastlines to the notions of a ‘range’ and a ‘multi-port gateway region’. Not only does the spatial scale create confusion on the true functional delineation o...

Autonomous ships would require higher cyber-physical interaction in comparison with traditional shipping operations, thus increasing the vulnerabilities associated with cyber security. The increasing complexity surrounding the innate characteristics of the shipping industry makes it challenging to build a resilient framework for ensuring cyber secu...

Brand strategy is a fundamental part of corporate strategy and constitutes a key condition for companies operating in international B2B contexts, enabling them to manage relations with customers, stakeholders and shareholders effectively. Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are drivers of change in both brand architecture and brand portfolio strategies...

Chinese enterprises have invested in more than 100 overseas ports globally in the past two decades, but their contribution to the local terminal's competitiveness remains unclear. Differing from the existing qualitative geopolitical interpretation of China-labeled port projects, this study empirically investigates how investor attributes with Chine...

Port Economics, Management, and Policy analyses the contemporary port industry and how ports are organized to serve the global economy and regional and local development needs. It uses a conceptual background supported by extensive fieldwork and empirical observations, such as analyzing flows, ports, and the strategies and policies articulating the...

Port managing bodies (PMBs) need to respond to increased societal pressures for improving environmental performance. For many PMBs, a modal shift (MS) from road to rail and barge transport (where available) represents a strategic priority. Yet, in practice, few PMBs have set clear MS targets or have been able to achieve their MS objectives at the l...

This article explore different means to tackle congestions arising related to the maritime sector.

The introduction of ever-larger containerships is a much-discussed topic in academic and business circles. The largest containership size has evolved from about 5500 TEU in 1995 to more than 23,000 TEU in 2019. The economic rationale for further scale increases in ship size is largely dependent on the current and future market conditions in the con...

Since the inception of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, the associated infrastructure and transport and economic corridor developments have been widely addressed in the research field of transportation, logistics and supply chain management. Such developments open windows of opportunity for accommodating trade flows in new or upgrade...

This paper contributes to the extant debate on port planning and development by analysing current approaches and challenges for academics and port authorities with respect to traffic forecasting. First, we examine how academics approach traffic forecasting in ports based on an extensive literature review. Next, using a sample of 28 core ports in th...

Integrated maritime policies (IMPs) provide a comprehensive governance framework to support the sustainable use of the seas and oceans while ensuring a horizon of prosperity for the population of the surrounding coastal regions. This paper focuses on how IMP governance can be arranged to support more effective policy integration. We identify and di...

This study investigates the competitiveness of various autonomous ship categories for container shipping in the Arctic route. We propose a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework using four ship categories as alternatives and eight criteria for competitiveness evaluation. We analyse collected data using the Best-Worst Method (BWM), one of t...

Economic shocks test the resilience and adaptability of the shipping industry and container ports. Each crisis triggers different ramifications in the container market. This paper investigates the temporal and spatial sequences of the supply and demand shocks of COVID-19 on container ports and the container shipping industry by comparing these even...

The establishment of world-embracing container shipping networks has facilitated globalization processes and associated global production and logistics practices. This article discusses the current state and future prospects of the container liner shipping industry. In particular, we discuss demand-supply dynamics in the market; the financial perfo...

This paper presents a generic simulation model to determine the equipment mix (quay, yard and intra-terminal transfer) for a Container Terminal Logistics Operations System (CTLOS). The simulation model for the CTLOS, a typical type of discrete event dynamic system (DEDS), consists of three sub-models: ship queue, loading-unloading operations and ya...

Container shipping is the largest producer of emissions within the maritime shipping industry. Hence, measures have been designed and implemented to reduce ship emission levels. IMO's MARPOL Annex VI, with its future plan of applying Tier III requirements, the Energy Efficiency Design Index for new ships, and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management P...

After a brief background about the development of containerization in recent decades, this chapter reviews the current characteristics of liner shipping networks under three main themes. First, it provides an overview of the different service types of shipping lines and dynamics in liner service configuration and design. Second, a global snapshot o...

Purpose Increased economic activity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has given rise to increased demand for port development. Given the often scarce availability of national public funding, port institutional reform programmes have been implemented to pave the way for the inclusion of external port investors. Notwithstanding this fact, some sub-Saharan...

Over the past decades, China's direct investment in Africa expanded significantly and became more diversified. The increased involvement of Chinese interests in Africa has intensified the debate on the benefits, modes and risks linked to these investments. Chinese state-owned companies have directed large amounts of expertise and resources to Afric...

Academic studies and policy documents have elaborated on the 0.1% sulphur cap in roro shipping and its potential impact on vessel operating costs, the competitiveness of roro shipping compared to other transport modes and the risks for triggering a ‘modal back shift’ from sea to road. This study revisits the paper ‘The impact of low sulphur fuel re...