Should ports focus on their core business?

Manufacturing and global supply chains have been become nimble and flexible as customers expect immediate and fast delivery of their orders. In this competitive environment, factories re-locate to maintain profit margins, taking advantage of low costs of labour, land, connectivity and tax breaks. Added to this is the uncertainty in the global economy as players realigned themselves to compete and at the same instance cooperate. One outcome we observe in the maritime and logistics industry is overcapacity in vessel and port capacity putting immense pressure on pricing and profit margins. The industry faces its toughest times since the invention of containerization in 1956 as the relationships facing the maritime industry grow more complex and port operators face the possibility of slack. This seminar gathers prominent academicians with practical experience to share what the sector is like to evolve in the future and how port operators will have to position itself to take advantage of these dynamic changes.