Competitiveness of China's Guangxi Beibu Gulf Port: resource-based and institutional perspectives

Guangxi Beibu Gulf Port is a crucial window connecting the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, an international passage to ASEAN. This study attempts to take the Guangxi Beibu Gulf Port as the object of study, explore its port competitiveness from the perspectives of resource theory and institutional environment. This study used two sets of data which are official data of thirteen ports in 2010-2016 years and the first hand data collected from the port operators by the self-reported questionnaire.First of all, based on governmental data of thirteen ports including Beibu Gulf Port, Shanghai Port, Yantian Port and etc.from year 2010 to year 2016, the port competitiveness of Guangxi Beibu Gulf Port is comprehensively analyzed by making empirical test about the influence of port resources and institutional environment on port competitiveness, combining with the questionnaire and other first-hand materials. Second, to further valide and explain the findings from official data, this study used self-reported questionnaires to collect first-hand data from the port operators. Analyses of the two sets of data reveal the following findings. 1) the overall competitiveness of Beibu Gulf port is weak; 2) Beibu Gulf port competitiveness and port throughput are positively correlated; 3) the port resources of Beibu Gulf have not all significantly positively affecting the port competitiveness; 4) the institutional environment of Beibu Gulf port has not been able to regulate the relationship between port resources and port competitiveness; 5) the institutional environment of Beibu Gulf port has a positive regulating effect on port competition and port throughput. This study proposes relevant policies and suggestions to improve Beibu Gulf port competitiveness.O Guangxi Beibu Gulf Port é um importante porto de entrada para a Rota da Seda Marítima do Século XXI e o Cinturão Económico da Rota da Seda, além de ser um portal internacional para a ASEAN. Este artigo tenta usar o Guangxi Beibu Gulf Port como objeto de pesquisa para explorar a competitividade portuária do porto de Guangxi Beibu Gulf na perspectiva da teoria dos recursos e do ambiente institucional. Este estudo usou dois conjuntos de dados. Dados em primeira mão de operadores portuários coletados por dados oficiais e questionários auto-relatados para 13 portos para 2010-2016. Primeiro, usando os dados oficiais de 13 portos em Beibu Gulf, Shanghai Port e Yantian Port de 2010 a 2016, foi construído um modelo de análise empírica do impacto dos recursos portuários e do ambiente de políticas portuárias na competitividade portuária. Com base no questionário e em outros dados de primeira mão, foi realizada uma análise abrangente da competitividade do porto de Guangxi Beibu Gulf. Em segundo lugar, a fim de aprofundar o estudo e explicar os resultados dos dados oficiais, este estudo utilizou um questionário auto-relatado para coletar dados em primeira mão dos operadores portuários. Os resultados da análise dos dois conjuntos de dados revelaram: 1) A competitividade global do Porto do Golfo de Beibu é fraca; 2) A competitividade do Beibu Gulf Port está positivamente correlacionada com o rendimento do porto; 3) As variáveis dos recursos portuários do Beibu Gulf não afetaram de forma significativa e positiva a competitividade portuária; 4) O ambiente institucional do porto de Beibu Gulf não ajustou significativamente positivamente a relação entre os recursos portuários e a competitividade portuária; 5) O ambiente institucional do Beibu Gulf Port tem um efeito de ajuste positivo na relação entre a concorrência portuária e o rendimento do porto. Com base nisso, este estudo propõe recomendações políticas relevantes para melhorar a competitividade do porto do Golfo de Beibu

Competitiveness and strategic positioning of seaports: the case of Iberian Seaports

The global market, with its extensive business networks and complex logistics systems, poses a high degree of uncertainty to the seaport industry and leaves seaport managers facing questions over just how to effectively respond to the ongoing market dynamics. Over the years, competition among seaports has intensified due to a number of structural changes taking place in seaport systems. Firstly, seaport hinterlands have extended well beyond national boundaries as a result of improvements to logistics and transport infrastructure. Secondly, the seaport industry is becoming increasingly concentrated through mergers and alliances. Thirdly, seaports are no longer mere interface points between land and sea or air. As communication technology advances and trade liberalization facilitates globalization, the role of seaports in the supply chain is changing. Seaports have now become one of the most dynamic links in international transport networks. There is already a clear consensus in the literature around the sheer importance of seaports to national economies, especially to those heavily dependent on international trade. Taking into account the vital importance of seaports directly or indirectly to the economy of any country, and especially to those of Portugal and Spain, this research seeks to analyse the competitiveness and strategic positioning of Iberian seaports. In accordance with the seaport context set out above, the following four research questions are raised: i) are there different prevailing levels of competitiveness at Iberian seaports? ii) what are the key factors to seaport competitiveness from the stakeholder’s perspective? Do perceptions of the importance of these factors differ between users and service providers? iii) how are Iberian seaports strategically positioned within the Iberian range? iv) What is the contribution of logistics resources to the competitiveness and performance of this sector? To approach the level of competitiveness dimension, we measure seaport efficiency through applying an alternative Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology for cross sectional data from 2009 and the appropriate DEA methods (contemporaneous and windows analysis) for panel data (2005-2009). The results suggest that levels of Iberian seaport efficiency differ significantly not only from seaport to seaport but also at each seaport over the course of time. The study also identifies both the contribution of inputs/outputs to this seaport efficiency and the causes of inefficiency. Through the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), we study the key factors to seaport competitiveness from the perspectives of stakeholders as well as the strength of their respective preferences. The Delphi approach was deployed for the preliminary stages of factor selection. The results reveal how seaports users and seaport service providers disagree over the importance of the key factors to seaport competitiveness. The results empirically demonstrate that vessel turnaround time is the most important factor to seaport competitiveness from perception of its users. However, from that of the seaport authorities and terminal operators, seaport facilities and equipment is the most important factor. The importance-performance matrix analysis also confirms that the vessel turnaround time that proves most important to users is also the factor on which the seaports do not perform well. Therefore, the service providers of Iberian seaports need to focus on improving its performance in this field. To study strategic seaport positioning, we apply the BCG (Boston Consulting Group) matrix as a strategic tool generating an evolutionary perspective. The findings reveal a better positioning of Spanish seaports in relation to total traffic. According to the time series analyzed (1992-2009), the strategic positioning of most seaports in the BCG matrix had changed from the first to the third period. Furthermore, in terms of container traffic, the results identify the seaports of Algeciras, Valencia, and Barcelona as having attained a remarkable position of leadership. With the purpose of analyzing the contribution of resource logistics to seaport performance, the linear additive Multi Criterion Analysis (MCA) and the Principal Components Analysis (PCA) model were adopted. The model incorporates the contribution of two different performance indicators, operational performance and physical capacity, measured by several indicators. The physical capacity indicators considered are logistics resources. Study results show operational performance contributed 48.77% whilst physical capacity represented 51.23% of overall performance with the majority of seaports revealing a direct proportionality between their positioning in terms of physical capacity and their overall performance positioning.This work was financially supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) subsidized by the Fundo Social Europeu (FSE) and funds from the MCTES State Budget under the QREN - POPH - Type 4.1 - Advanced Training

Uncertain Multi-Criteria Optimization Problems

Most real-world search and optimization problems naturally involve multiple criteria as objectives. Generally, symmetry, asymmetry, and anti-symmetry are basic characteristics of binary relationships used when modeling optimization problems. Moreover, the notion of symmetry has appeared in many articles about uncertainty theories that are employed in multi-criteria problems. Different solutions may produce trade-offs (conflicting scenarios) among different objectives. A better solution with respect to one objective may compromise other objectives. There are various factors that need to be considered to address the problems in multidisciplinary research, which is critical for the overall sustainability of human development and activity. In this regard, in recent decades, decision-making theory has been the subject of intense research activities due to its wide applications in different areas. The decision-making theory approach has become an important means to provide real-time solutions to uncertainty problems. Theories such as probability theory, fuzzy set theory, type-2 fuzzy set theory, rough set, and uncertainty theory, available in the existing literature, deal with such uncertainties. Nevertheless, the uncertain multi-criteria characteristics in such problems have not yet been explored in depth, and there is much left to be achieved in this direction. Hence, different mathematical models of real-life multi-criteria optimization problems can be developed in various uncertain frameworks with special emphasis on optimization problems

Sustainable Business Models

The dynamically changing world economy, in an era of intensive development and globalization, creates new needs in both the theoretical models of management and in the practical discussion related to the perception of business. Because of new economic phenomena related to the crisis, there is a need for the design and operationalization of innovative business models for companies. Due to the fact that in times of crisis, the principles of strategic balance are particularly important; these business models can be sustainable business models. Moreover, it is essential to skillfully use different methods and concepts of management to ensure the continuity of business. It seems that sustainable business models, in their essence, can support companies' effectiveness and contribute to their stable, sustainable functioning in the difficult, ever-changing market. This Special Issue aims to discuss the key mechanisms concerning the design and operationalization of sustainable business models, from a strategic perspective. We invite you to contribute to this Issue by submitting comprehensive reviews, case studies, or research articles. Papers selected for this Special Issue are subject to a rigorous peer review procedure, with the aim of rapid and wide dissemination of research results, developments, and applications

Transport Systems: Safety Modeling, Visions and Strategies

This reprint includes papers describing the synthesis of current theory and practice of planning, design, operation, and safety of modern transport, with special focus on future visions and strategies of transport sustainability, which will be of interest to scientists dealing with transport problems and generally involved in traffic engineering as well as design, traffic networks, and maintenance engineers

Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Computing

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a subject garnering increasing attention in both academia and the industry today. The understanding is that AI-enhanced methods and techniques create a variety of opportunities related to improving basic and advanced business functions, including production processes, logistics, financial management and others. As this collection demonstrates, AI-enhanced tools and methods tend to offer more precise results in the fields of engineering, financial accounting, tourism, air-pollution management and many more. The objective of this collection is to bring these topics together to offer the reader a useful primer on how AI-enhanced tools and applications can be of use in today’s world. In the context of the frequently fearful, skeptical and emotion-laden debates on AI and its value added, this volume promotes a positive perspective on AI and its impact on society. AI is a part of a broader ecosystem of sophisticated tools, techniques and technologies, and therefore, it is not immune to developments in that ecosystem. It is thus imperative that inter- and multidisciplinary research on AI and its ecosystem is encouraged. This collection contributes to that

Bio-inspired computation: where we stand and what's next

In recent years, the research community has witnessed an explosion of literature dealing with the adaptation of behavioral patterns and social phenomena observed in nature towards efficiently solving complex computational tasks. This trend has been especially dramatic in what relates to optimization problems, mainly due to the unprecedented complexity of problem instances, arising from a diverse spectrum of domains such as transportation, logistics, energy, climate, social networks, health and industry 4.0, among many others. Notwithstanding this upsurge of activity, research in this vibrant topic should be steered towards certain areas that, despite their eventual value and impact on the field of bio-inspired computation, still remain insufficiently explored to date. The main purpose of this paper is to outline the state of the art and to identify open challenges concerning the most relevant areas within bio-inspired optimization. An analysis and discussion are also carried out over the general trajectory followed in recent years by the community working in this field, thereby highlighting the need for reaching a consensus and joining forces towards achieving valuable insights into the understanding of this family of optimization techniques

Bio-inspired computation: where we stand and what's next

In recent years, the research community has witnessed an explosion of literature dealing with the adaptation of behavioral patterns and social phenomena observed in nature towards efficiently solving complex computational tasks. This trend has been especially dramatic in what relates to optimization problems, mainly due to the unprecedented complexity of problem instances, arising from a diverse spectrum of domains such as transportation, logistics, energy, climate, social networks, health and industry 4.0, among many others. Notwithstanding this upsurge of activity, research in this vibrant topic should be steered towards certain areas that, despite their eventual value and impact on the field of bio-inspired computation, still remain insufficiently explored to date. The main purpose of this paper is to outline the state of the art and to identify open challenges concerning the most relevant areas within bio-inspired optimization. An analysis and discussion are also carried out over the general trajectory followed in recent years by the community working in this field, thereby highlighting the need for reaching a consensus and joining forces towards achieving valuable insights into the understanding of this family of optimization techniques