Maritime Transport Master Classes

This two-week module on Port Economics & Business will provide participants with thorough insights into, and knowledge of, the role, functioning, operations and policymaking concerning seaports. This knowledge will be shared by top-level academic staff of C-MAT and its scientific partner network, as well as by high-end practitioners, port authorities and policymakers. Participants will be actively engaged in interactive lectures, field visits and panel debate sessions. During the first week, the course will deal in detail with the typology and role of port actors, technical-nautical-labor aspects of ports, passenger and freight services, port traffic forecasting, port governance and internationalization, port productivity measurement and port pricing strategies.

During the second week, economic, regulatory, safety, environmental and social policy strategies will be discussed. Specific issues such as infrastructure and terminal finance, congestion solving, hinterland strategies and port innovation will be tackled. The course content is based on first-hand research results from members of TPR and its network, and on the wide experience of decision-makers at port terminal operating companies, port authorities, integrated chain operators, port associations and banks. During the module, there will be plenty of opportunity for interaction with other participants and with the lecturers.

The module on Maritime Economics & Business focuses on issues that shape the maritime transport market. How is this market organized in practice? What role do the authorities play and how do they impact the behavior of shipping companies? How are price and cargo affected? What kind of business strategies do ship owners pursue? How are market forecasts made? Which kind of vessel is best suited for deployment on specific routes and / or loops, or for specific cargo types? What is the impact of emerging technologies on shipping operations? What is the impact of regulation and legal issues on shipping? These and other crucial issues will be analyzed by means of economic tools.

Maritime transport is an essential link in many of the global supply chains. At any given moment within a certain chain, there are trade-offs to be made with other links, including in relation to the choice of port and transshipment as well as hinterland services. This course provides an in-depth view into the management of maritime supply chains. It also examines how such supply chains can be affected by exogenous trends and events, such as structural changes in international trade, new developments in the field of digitization and automation in the supply chain, and national and supranational policymaking.