FAEM - Logistics and Supply Chain

This research explores the holistic environmental sustainability in Global Logistics Hubs (GLHs). It aims to help emerging and existing GLHs develop more sustainably by considering the holistic environmental impact of actors in GLHs, moving away from the siloed approach to environmental sustainability and environmental impact measurement that has been dominant in the literature and practice. Primary stakeholders are considered in this research to ensure a holistic view. The research sheds light on the environmental impact, holistic environmental measurement, governance and accountability in GLHs, as well as factors that play a role in improving or hindering environmental sustainability in GLHs.

Shipping and logistics are increasingly facing environmental and social challenges, which necessitate strategies that balance sustainability with profitability. Companies must establish effective governance structures that integrate sustainability into their business practices in alignment with regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations. Frameworks like Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) help businesses assess their sustainability efforts. ESG focuses on quantitative, externally regulated metrics, while CSR is qualitative and self-regulated, emphasizing voluntary actions. Despite these differences, both contribute to the growing trend of sustainability reporting, which communicates a company's social and environmental impacts to stakeholders. Although non-financial reports showcase sustainability efforts, it remains unclear whether they genuinely promote transparency or reflect an institutional decoupling between a company's disclosure policy and its actual practices. This research proposes a typology to compare the sustainability reporting and disclosure practices of a selection of shipping lines and logistics service providers. The classification framework analyzes how multi-level factors shape sustainability communication and provides a method for evaluating the sustainability stances of industry players. These positions are referred to as "sustainability constellations", representing distinct combinations of CSR and ESG discourses, reporting practices, and disclosure strategies. Based on a longitudinal multi-case study of Maersk Line, CMA CGM, DHL, and DB Schenker, this research offers empirical findings regarding how these companies position themselves regarding sustainability reporting.

Ports generate substantial hinterland traffic, with road transport often remaining the dominant mode, posing significant environmental and societal challenges. To mitigate these impacts, integrating alternative modes in the hinterland chain, such as inland waterways, while reserving road transport for last-mile connectivity is crucial. This study leverages truck GPS data to understand disaggregated truck movements in the port-hinterland network of the port of Antwerp and assess the potential for modal shift for these truck movements. By calculating and comparing generalized transport costs, including monetary costs, the cost of reliability and transit time, for road-only versus intermodal transport under varying congestion scenarios, we identify regions with high potential for a modal shift. Our findings offer data-driven insights for targeted policy interventions to promote more sustainable port-hinterland freight transport.

The rapid growth of maritime trade digital platforms has heightened the need for data sharing. However, the dispersed and complementary nature of shipping data-where complete information for a single cargo requires integration from multiple parties-and the unclear data ownership structure, pose significant challenges to data sharing. This study investigates how data ownership structures affect data sharing willingness on these platforms, aiming to optimize ownership strategies. Based on the UTAUT model and incorporating perceived risk and trust, and platform network externalities, this study uses data ownership structure as a moderating variable and employs structural equation modeling and machine learning methods for analysis. Results show that entity type, performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, perceived risk and trust significantly influence data sharing willingness. The "separation of three rights" system enhances willingness by clarifying responsibilities, while a centralized ownership system can also boost willingness with sufficient resources and strong policies. This study provides a theoretical basis for optimizing data ownership strategies, balancing interests between platform enterprises and data rights holders, and promoting platform development.

Port reforms changed the role of port authorities around the world, separating commercial entity's role into two: regulators and operators. Port authorities took over facilitating flows and animating port communities in a Business to Business and Business to Administration context.


Literature in port economics and management, with few exceptions, highlight's role changes, but lacks conceptualisation and applied theories to investigate port strategies considering governance, port marketing and port community management.


Industrial marketing theories, provides better understanding of business networks, strategizing dynamics and relationships among actors, resources and activities. Publications in these fields considering supply chain as complex network of relationships provide food for thought in the transportation and logistics sector.


This research presents a systematic literature review of industrial marketing peer reviewed articles in the field of transportation and logistics, providing theoretical materials applicable for research agendas in port marketing.


Preliminary results show some methods, theories, and concepts to be applied in port sectors, since they consider industrial clusters like ports through the lens of dynamic business networks. Moreover, few literatures reviewed articles show premises using IMP Group theories into port industry. Nowadays, where one considers ports as reindustrialisation tools, IMP theories seem appropriate for further research.


Keywords: Port; Strategy, Port Marketing, Governance, Literature Review.