Hilde Meersman

CO-OPERATION AND COMPETITION IN INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TRANSPORT: STRATEGIES FOR PORTS

This paper focuses on the response of port authorities to the changing market environment in which they operate. It documents the changes taking place in the relationships between port authorities and terminal management companies and considers the strategic issues faced by these groups and other port interests. In particular, it investigates the potential conflicts of interest for a port authority in matters related to the level of competition amongst terminals within a port and the amount of competition amongst ports.

Economic impact of port activity : a disaggregate analysis. The case of Antwerp

The economic impact of the port sector is usually measured at an aggregate level by indicators such as value added, employment and investment. This paper tries to define the economic relevance for the regional as well as for the national economy at a disaggregate level. It attempts to identify, quantify and locate the mutual relationships between the various port players themselves and between them and other Belgian industries. Due to a lack of information foreign trade is only tackled very briefly but the method outlined in this paper can be used to measure the national effects of changes in port activity at a detailed level. A sector analysis is made by compiling a regional (regional as geographically opposed to national, not to be mistaken for the Belgian Regions Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia) input-output table, resorting to microeconomic data: a bottom-up approach. The main customers and suppliers of the ports key players or stakeholders are identified. A geographical analysis can also be carried out by using data at a disaggregate level. Each customer or supplier can be located by means of their postcode. In so doing, the economic impact of the port is quantified, both functionally and geographically. In the case of the port of Antwerp, the results show important links between freight forwarders and agents. The geographical analysis suggests the existence of major agglomerating effects in and around the port of Antwerp, referred to as a major transhipment location point. Key words: port economics, regional input-output table, sector analysis, geographical analysis.

Investment, Uncertainty and Irreversibility: Evidence from Belgian Accounting Data

This paper investigates the effects of uncertainty on the investment behaviour using firm-level data for a sample of Belgian manufacturing firms. In general, the results confirm former analysis at the aggregate level, stating that uncertainty does matter but that the sign of the effect and its magnitude largely depend on which proxies are used and how they are defined. It is shown that uncertainty has mainly an impact on the decision to invest and to a much lesser extent on the amount invested. Furthermore, the difference between reversible and irreversible investment is crucial. The impact of volatility on irreversible investment is far more larger than on reversible investment. In some cases, the amount of reversible investment will increase with higher volatility.

Freight Transport Modelling

This title addresses the need to develop new freight transport models and scientific tools to provide sound solutions that consider the wide range of internal and external impacts. The international contributions push forward frontiers in freight transport modelling and analysis.

Port Pricing: Principles, Structure and Models

Price level and price transparency are input to shippers’ choice of supply chain and transport mode. In this paper, we analyse current port pricing structures in the light of the pricing literature and consider opportunities for improvement. We present a detailed overview of pricing criteria, who sets prices and who ultimately foots the bill for port-of-call charges, cargo-handling fees and congestion charges. Current port pricing practice is based on a rather linear structure and fails to incorporate modern pricing tools such as price differentiation or revenue management. Consequently, ports apply neither profit maximising pricing nor pricing designed to exploit available capacity more efficiently.

Port Investments in an Uncertain Environment

This contribution focuses on some specific aspects of port investments related to the large amounts of capital needed for some types of port investments and the long payback time of the projects. The first part treats the problem of private and/or public involvement and the impact on the competitiveness of a port. Next, the consequences of uncertainty in combination with large sunk costs for the rules which guide the decision to invest are examined. The last part considers the problem of forecasting port traffic and its volatility because they are crucial for an accurate evaluation of the investment projects.

Recent Developments in Transport Modelling: Lessons for the Freight Sector

This book is intended for transportation professionals interested in the role of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), and freight transport modeling and policy. It is dedicated to the memory of Professor Marvin L. Manheim, the father of modern Transportation Systems Analysis (TSA), who founded the World Conference on Transport Research Society, and is considered the foremost visionary of ICTs, transportation, and logistics. The book is divided into three main parts. The first part is about Professor Marvin L. Manheim and his path breaking contributions to transportation. The main chapter, written by him, is based on the keynote presentation he delivered at the opening session of the 1998 World Conference on Transport Research in Antwerp. It presents his vision for the role of ICTs in transport; a vision that was revolutionary in 1998 and is still valid and relevant today. The first part also includes an overview written by his widow and collaborator, Mary-Beth Manheim, describing his scientific contributions. The remainder of the book, parts two and three, is about freight transport modeling and policy, and presents an application of Manheims TSA paradigm. More specifically, the second part presents the recent advances in freight modeling. The chapters begin with a model of the linkages between freight and the macro-economic environment, and end with models of the detailed aspects of logistics choices such as mode of transport, transshipments, and shipment size. Topics covered in part two also include predictions of production to consumption freight flows through the use of multi regional input-output models, choice analysis using freight market research surveys, and estimation of value of quality attributes and value of time in freight transport. Finally, part three of the book describes how the freight models, covered in part two, are used to develop local and regional transport policies.

Port congestion and implications to maritime logistics

With the above observations, the chapter sheds some light on where the future needs and trends in the abatement of capacity will lie. It is therefore useful from a scientific point of view as well as with an eye on policy-making and operational port management.

Port throughput and international trade: have port authorities any degrees of freedom left?

Ports have always been at the heart of economic activity. They were and still are the places of transhipment between maritime and hinterland transport, they supplied storage facilities, they were locations for all kind of service providers and they attracted industrial and trade companies.

Recent developments in freight transport modelling

Similarly, relocating production activities, often from high-cost to low-cost countries, can only be achieved through better, cheaper and more extensive transportation services.. The other side of the picture is that an unrestrained expansion of passenger and freight transport will create substantial negative externalities such as air pollution, congestion, accidents and damage to infrastructure. Consequently, if the relevant policies remain absent, the social costs of mobility may exceed the benefits.