Factors Affecting Container Seaport Competitiveness: Case Study on Port of Rijeka

Abstract

In this research, the authors aimed to investigate the factors affecting the competitiveness of container seaports and apply the research results to the case study of the Port of Rijeka. The previous related research on the topic of the Port of Rijeka is valuable, however, the seaport competitiveness factors were not elaborated in detail, which also represents a research gap. As a first step, the authors identified the competitiveness factors influencing container seaports, using the literature review method. Further, the authors conducted the case study of the Port of Rijeka, using the following identified competitiveness factors: the port’s geographical location, feeder connection, and maritime connectivity, infrastructure and superstructure of the container terminal, berth length, depth of the port and port area characteristics, road and railway infrastructure, port reputation, costs, customs procedure efficiency, and ICT systems. Finally, the authors propose measures to improve the competitiveness of the Port of Rijeka. The presented case study could be used as a reference point for similar container seaports, which are aware of their limited resources, but need to increase their efficiency and competitiveness.

Factors Affecting the Competitiveness of the Seaport: A Case Study in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

“…Research on Valencia port in Spain by Scaramelli (2010) shows that geographical location has a positive impact on a seaport's competitiveness. Similar results were found from the research on the global competitiveness of seaports by Kaliszewski et al (2020), the research on carriers' selection of seaports in Turkey by Baştuğ et al (2022), and the research on Rijeka seaport in Croatia by Tijan et al (2022). With the above studies, we propose the following hypothesis: H2: Geographical location has a positive impact on a seaport's competitiveness.…”

“…Ports that can meet the specific requirements of individual shipping lines and provide them with dedicated terminals will have a competitive advantage. A study of the Port of Rijeka in Croatia by Tijan et al (2022) states that one of the important factors affecting port competitiveness is hinterland connectivity and maritime connectivity. Research on the seaport system in India, Saha (2022) stated that hinterland port development affects the improvement of seaport competitiveness.…”

State-of-the-Art in Ports and Terminal Management and Engineering

“…This model comprises a discrete event dynamic model and a continuous time dynamic model. Tijan et al [5] conducted a comprehensive case study on the factors that influence the competitiveness of container seaports, with a specific focus on the Port of Rijeka. Their research delved into various aspects, including infrastructure development, connectivity, regulatory frameworks, port governance, and sustainability initiatives.…”

“…This editorial aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the stateof-the-art in ports and terminal management and engineering, incorporating key research papers that delve into dynamic appointment rescheduling of trucks under uncertainty of arrival time [1], historic automation projects of brownfield container terminals [2], rent fee assessment on the port railway station through a litigation case study of a Korean container terminal [3], and a hybrid dynamic method for conflict-free integrated schedule optimization in U-shaped automated container terminals [4]. Additionally, we will explore the factors influencing container seaport competitiveness, using the Port of Rijeka as a case study [5].…”