Global Logistics Network Modelling and Policy provides guidelines on quality policy, covering investments, management and planning for port and hinterland infrastructure, roads, railways and inland waterway ports. The book first describes the authors' concept and formulation models, followed by a description and analysis of the applied data. As shipping companies fiercely compete in an effort to achieve greater efficiency and impact infrastructure policy and plan for the entire supply chain, they need tactics that drive quality transportation policy and new ways to model and simulate worldwide cargo movements, all while estimating demand and capacity of systems. This book provides quantitative tools for modeling, analysis, and simulation of worldwide, inter-modal cargo movement – helping forecast the impacts of logistics and related policies in each region of the world. It covers useful applications for every region of the world, allowing policymakers to tailor results for their own specific uses. - Delivers sophisticated quantitative tools for modeling simulations, providing powerful analysis of global intermodal cargo movements - Features examples of tools applied to logistical policy situations in every region of the world - Serves as a bridge between theory and practice in the field of freight transportation research - Provides detailed, data-supported case studies and real-world examples for transportation modelers, planners and policymakers

Network models are critical tools in business, management, science and industry. “Network Models and Optimization” presents an insightful, comprehensive, and up-to-date treatment of multiple objective genetic algorithms to network optimization problems in many disciplines, such as engineering, computer science, operations research, transportation, telecommunication, and manufacturing. The book extensively covers algorithms and applications, including shortest path problems, minimum cost flow problems, maximum flow problems, minimum spanning tree problems, traveling salesman and postman problems, location-allocation problems, project scheduling problems, multistage-based scheduling problems, logistics network problems, communication network problem, and network models in assembly line balancing problems, and airline fleet assignment problems. The book can be used both as a student textbook and as a professional reference for practitioners who use network optimization methods to model and solve problems.

In a world where most international trade is carried by sea, each port can be seen as a unique chokepoint competing to attract ever more traffic and economic activities. However, ports can also be seen as parts of a wider system, which can be defined as a system of two or more ports located in proximity within a given area. Their fate and governance is jointly influenced when belonging to the same region, country, or transnational space. Investments, shocks, innovations, and delays occurring in one port often affect other ports within a certain spatial range and time lapse. Further understanding of such co-developments in port systems is necessary to go beyond local specificities, through a multidisciplinary and multi-level contribution. Port Systems in Global Competition is an answer to the strong and urgent need for reviewing the relevant theories, concepts, methods, and sources that can be mobilized for the analysis of port systems. With contributions from reputable scholars coming from no less than 11 countries in Europe, Asia, and North America, this book delves into the analysis of port systems from diverse disciplinary angles (geography, regional science, economics, management, engineering, and mathematics/computer sciences), and covering innovative empirical approaches to various port systems in the world. The theoretical and empirical knowledge can support and enhance decision-making in relation with the development of ports, supply chains, and transport networks in general. This book is an ideal companion to academics and upper-level students interested in the analysis of transport and economic systems in general, as well as the effective ways to answer complex issues in transportation and socio-economic development. It will be a valuable resource for those researching or studying transportation and supply chains, maritime and port economics, as well as regional development and human geography.

China faces significant hurdles in implementing its Belt and Road Initiative. Since its launch a decade ago, the BRI has become a crucial component of Chinese external economic relations. It has the potential to alter the economic and political landscape of Asia but also Europe. As such, the Belt and Road initiative have placed China at the heart of geopolitics in the Eurasian region but also globally. Therefore, China faces significant hurdles in implementing these initiatives, with many countries and organizations around the world becoming increasingly weary of China’s BRI and geopolitical strategy. This book examines these issues of the BRI and analyzes the impact of the BRI on Chinese involvement in Asia and Europe. It sheds light on the strategic responses of host country governments and regional economic organizations, as well as the reactions of Chinese and other multinational companies, and ultimately the Chinese government. This book will appeal to scholars, researchers and practitioners of International Business and Policy, particularly those interested in the BRI and China’s geo-economic influence. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Asia Pacific Business Review.

This book addresses the latest organizational, regulatory, and governance issues of main port systems, linking them to the financial aspects that are currently in use regarding investments in the port industry. A general review of port management and operations is complimented by analysis of country specific systems and a look at how ports could develop in the future. This book aims to examine how different port organizational and regulatory contexts affect port investment practices and related financial tools. The book is of use to researchers and practitioners interested in maritime economics and transportation studies.

This paper proposes an easy-to-follow approach to track merchandise trade using vessel data and applies it to Pacific island countries. Pacific islands rely heavily on imports and maritime transport for trade. They are also highly vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters that pose risks to ports and supply chains. Using satellite-based vessel tracking data from the UN Global Platform, we construct daily indicators of port and trade activity for Pacific island countries. The algorithm significantly advances estimation techniques of previous studies, particularly by employing ways to overcome challenges with the estimation of cargo payloads, using detailed information on shipping liner schedules to validate port calls, and applying country-specific information to define port boundaries. The approach can complement and help fill gaps in official data, provide early warning signs of turning points in economic activity, and assist policymakers and international organizations to monitor and provide timely responses to shocks (e.g., COVID-19).

This book presents fundamental concepts and general approaches to City Logistics. City Logistics is the process of totally optimising urban logistics activities by considering the social, environmental, economic, financial and energy impacts of urban freight movement. City Logistics initiatives are required to solve urban freight transport problems including high levels of traffic congestion, negative environmental impacts, high energy consumption and a shortage of labour. The focus of this work is on modelling City Logistics. Modelling is of crucial importance, since estimates of the impacts generated by City Logistics measures are required for evaluating them. It highlights the formulation of mathematical models of vehicle routing and scheduling with Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), optimal terminal locations and impact estimation by City Logistics measures. Heuristics techniques such as genetic algorithms, simulated annealing and tabu search are also given to identify approximate optimal solution of these combinatorial optimisation problems. ITS provides powerful tools for efficiently managing and operating vehicle fleets. Sophisticated logistics systems can now be developed by integrating Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in conjunction with application software. In this context, the book presents a theoretical and practical treatment of modelling City Logistics based on ITS.