Transformation of port terminal operations: from the local to the global

What conditions supply chain strategies of ports? The case of Dubai

“…We can not reduce the spatial dimension in a simple global-local dichotomy since port actors are subject to a path dependent and place specific institutional framework (Stevens 1997;Hall 2003;Slack and Frémont 2005) that is both constraining and enabling. This implies that we need to be sensitive to the spatial organization of the state, the competencies of its agencies as well as the set of formal rules which structure the interaction between public and private agents.…”

“…By virtue of their power to organize, coordinate and even shape distribution systems that link sites of global production and consumption, these airlines, shipping lines, logistics providers and other actors are attracting considerable interest among economic and transportation geographers (Hall et al 2006;Hesse and Rodrigue 2006). One place where the power, influence and limitations of the new class of global actors are clearly on display is in the world's seaports where we observe a shift of responsibilities from public port authorities to privately owned global terminal operators (Olivier and Slack 2006;Slack and Frémont 2005). However, some of the largest global terminal operators, most notably Dubai Ports World (DPW) and the Port of Singapore Authority (now PSA Corporation) began life as public port authorities.…”

Kink in the intermodal supply chain: interorganizational relations in the port economy

“…For example, under the increasingly dominant 'landlord' model, the port leases its property to various 'tenants' (Slack and Frémont 2005). The landlord port is often reluctant to, or prohibited from, imposing prescriptive and/or restrictive business practices.…”

“…A single port may have multiple terminals that 'throughput' very different types of cargo and are managed by very different types of administrative arrangements, public, and private. In an effort to remain competitive, port authorities are increasingly ceding control of the terminals to the shipping lines and/or privately owned global terminal operators (Slack and Frémont 2005;Olivier and Slack 2006) employing the now dominant 'landlord' port model that represents the furthest privatization of port operations (Baird 2002;Turnbull and Wass 2007). Under this increasingly common arrangement, a particular terminal is leased, managed, and operated by a private firm specializing in terminal operations (e.g.…”

Drivers for Outside-In port hinterland integration in Latin America: The case of Veracruz, Mexico

“…Port regionalisation is defined as a process whereby "market forces and political influences gradually shape regional load centre networks with varying degrees of formal linkages between the nodes of the observed networks" (p.302). According to the port regionalisation concept, logistical integration and network orientation, as well as the globalisation and "terminalisation" of seaports (Slack and Frémont 2005;Rodrigue & Notteboom, 2009;Notteboom, 2009) explain the geographical and functional expansion of load centres to become "regional load centre networks". Discontinuous hinterlands are supported by logistic zones and inland distribution centres that are connected to the ports by high volume transport corridors.…”