Port Performance in Maritime Logistics

Dear Colleagues,

The world’s ports are increasingly competition for larger hinterlands and forelands, for more cargo and passengers, for more and larger ships, for higher-value cargo, and for transshipment and other value-added logistical operations that allow for increased maritime logistics connectivity and enforce greater development and wealth in the region’s economies.

In this environment of growing competition in the context of maritime logistics, the ports that have the best conditions of geographical factors, hard and soft port factors, and energy, digital and sustainability transition factors can have a better performance and be chosen by maritime shipping lines, by supply chains, by shipowners, by the shippers, tourists, and factories, and by importers and exporters.

What are these factors that make the port competitive in maritime logistics and allow ports to have a better performance? What are the most important performance factors in each port business? What are the most important por performance factors in each region and market? How do port customers choose the port and evaluate these factors? What characteristics should ports have to be able to attract more ships, more cargo, and more passengers?

In this context, we challenge port researchers to submit research papers for publication in this Special Issue covering the following subthemes:

• Performance factors of container terminals in maritime logistics.
• Performance factors of multipurpose, solid bulk, and liquid bulk terminals in maritime logistics.
• Performance factors of cruise terminals and passenger and ferry terminals in maritime logistics.
• Performance factor of industrial terminals and river terminals in maritime logistics.
• Performance factors of transshipment ports, short-sea ports, industrial ports, tourism ports island ports, feeder ports, and gateway ports in maritime logistics.
• Port performance factors in the hinterland regarding rail and road connections, governance models, information systems, soft and hard characteristics of the port, terminals, and maritime accesses.
• Port performance factors in the hinterland regarding the connection with logistic platforms and supply chains.
• Port performance factors in the maritime foreland regarding maritime connections, industrial markets, maritime supply chains, and global port operator networks.
• Energy transition performance factors of ports in maritime logistics chain.
• Digital transition performance factors of ports in maritime logistics chain.
• Sustainability transition performance factors of ports in maritime logistics chain.
• Port performance factors and port competition.

Prof. Dr. Vítor Caldeirinha
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• port performance
• maritime logistics
• foreland and hinterland
• port competition