Business and Economics of Port Management: An Insider’s Perspective

Published: July 2020

Business and Economics of Port Management is a comprehensive but concise textbook and reference for insights into the workings of port industry from the business and economics perspectives.

The book examines port management from various entities which include the government, port operator, shipping line, logistics companies and other port service providers. It provides in-depth discussions on strategic issues, challenges and disruptions that are faced by this industry. Given the uniqueness of each port and international nature of the port business, the book comes with useful case studies and lessons from different port regions around the world. Key lessons on challenges and issues faced by port managers, developers and regulators are highlighted and discussed using a combination of professional insights and publicly available information sources. The aim is to illustrate the decision-making process with the purpose of contributing to better outcomes for the industry, government and the public at large.

Anyone who is approaching the subject matter will gain utmost understanding of how ports are critical in the global economy and societal well-being.

Table of Contents

Part 1: The port and its unique character 
1. Introduction 
2. Every port is unique 
3. Multifaceted nature of port demand 
4. Long term nature of port supply 
5. Market structure and contestability in the port sector

Part 2: Operation, finance and technology aspects of the port business 
6. Operational and financial performance in the port business 
7. Technology and the port sector 
8. Port safety, security and the human factor

Part 3: Competition, competitiveness, marketing and customer management in the port industry 
9. Competition in the port industry 
10. Competitiveness and competitive advantage of ports 
11. Port marketing and customer management

Part 4: Contemporary challenges and concerns regarding port development and sustainability 
12. The port and the city 
13. Port development and financing 
14. The port and the environment

Part 5: Managing risks and uncertainties, traffic forecast and strategic planning for ports 
15. Managing risks and uncertainties for ports 
16. Developing port traffic forecasts 
17. A port-centric maritime cluster 
18. Strategic planning and port policy

Part 6: Looking forward to the future 
19. Trends and developments that will challenge the port industry