Transport/logistics nodes – including seaports, dry ports, airports, intermodal platforms, and distribution centres - occupy pivotal places in the global networks of commodity flows. Yet despite their shared experience of intensified flow under globalization (and dramatically reduced flow in the recent world-wide recession) and resulting policy pressure for governance reform, there is evidence of significant divergence among the governance and development trajectories of these nodes. Existing studies in the fields of maritime studies, human geography, and regional development have established that institutions and path dependency do matter in explaining these processes. The call is seeking to move towards the next phase through research on how institutions matter.

Issues related to ‘how institutions matter’ include:

Addressing these questions requires consideration and comparison of experiences from transport / logistics nodes under different developmental conditions - unlikely to be addressed satisfactorily solely based on individual studies. Hence, they invite contributions both by scholars who focus on the governance and development of transport / logistics nodes and also those interested in institutions, path dependency and related theoretical issues. We encourage submission of papers developing, comparing and contrasting themes and concepts, so as to address the above issues. Answering these queries will enable us to enrich institutional theories and contribute to their refinement, as well as their applicability in understanding the evolution of economic activities.

The plan is to develop a Special Issue to be hosted by a high quality academic journal (ISI indexed).  The Special Issue will be directly linked to a Conference Special Session to be organized during the Annual Conference of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) 2011 (www.iame2011.org), to be held in Santiago, Chile, 26-28 October 2011.

Tentative schedule

30 Sept 2010        Deadline for abstract submission
30 Nov 2010         Notification of abstract acceptance
30 Apr 2011         Deadline of submitting draft manuscript for peer-review
31 Jul 2011          Return of review reports to authors for revisions
30 Sep 2011         Submission of revised manuscript
27 Oct 2011         Special Session during IAME 2011 Conference
30 Nov 2011        Deadline of submitting final manuscript
Early 2012             Publication of the Special Issue

Read the Call @ PortEconomics  [Download the Call]

Autumn 2010: This autumn, REPEP members will attend and a number of port and maritime related events. Highlights include invitations to present cutting edge research and viewpoints at the following events:

The 12th International Conference Cities and Ports to be held from 15 to 19 November 2010, Buenos Aires and Rosario, Argentina.
The Conference, organized by AIVP, an international network of cities and ports already counting now 190 active members from all the continents of the world. This year's conference will have the theme "New World, new challenges", a wide problematic dealing with the main challenges the port cities have to cope with: the climatic and ecological challenge, the economic challenge, the spaces challenge, the citizenship challenge.

The 4th International Forum on Shipping, Ports and Airports, (IFSPA 2010) to be held from 15 to 18 October 2010, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Jointly organised by the Department of Logistics and Maritime Studies and the C.Y. Tung International Centre of Maritime Studies of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, IFSPA aims to provide an interactive platform for academics and industry practitioners to discuss and exchange views on contemporary issues facing the sectors, further advancing academia-industry cooperation. This year's conference theme, "Integrated Transportation Logistics: From Low Cost to High Responsibility", is meaningful and timely in light of today's heightened concerns about global climate change. Participants are expected to address the associated issues with strong commitment to achieve a balance of economy, environment and social objectives for a sustainable society.

The 30th WISTA International Conference to take place from 29 September to 1 October 2010, Athens, Greece.
Organised by WISTA Hellas, this Conference, aims to promote, for one more year, the scopes of the organization, giving support to and facilitating the exchange of contacts and experience amongst its members and the larger shipping community. 
The subject of the Conference is: “Achieving Sustainability - Paving the Way to Shipping Excellence”. During the Conference, distinguished expert speakers will present papers on how sustainable progress can be achieved and shipping excellence can be reached by promoting and strengthening social, economical as well as environmental balance and stability.

REPEP members would be pleased to meet you in any of these events and discuss port developments and potential collaboration opportunities.

...June 2010...REPEP members Thanos Pallis, George Vaggelas, and Thomas Vitsounis participated at the 8th Port Performance Research Network (PPPRN) meeting, that was held in Lisbon, Portugal, the 6th of July 2010 (the eve of IAME 2010).

The workshop was attended by 40 researchers discussed research in progress, and set the research agenda for the future. The themes of this year's meeting included:

- Measurement of port efficiency - including a presentation of on-going research in South America by Dr. Richardo Sanchez and Dr. Gordon Wilmsmeier, Napier University.

- Users’ perspectives and port effectiveness survey - including presentations of conducted survey in North America by Prof. Mary Brooks, Prof, Tony Schellinck, Dalhousie University, and Thanos Pallis.

- Port Authorities & Port Performance Indicators: Selection and Measurement - including a presentation of the progress of PPRISM Project by Patrick Verhoeven, Secretary General of ESPO, and discussion with participation of the five partner institutions including REPEP members.

- Concessions - including a presentation by PortEconomics co-director Prof. Theo Nottteboom, on the progress of the Special issue of Maritime Policy and Management on Concessions in seaports, to be edited by Prof. Theo Notteboom, Thanos Pallis and Dr. Sheila Farrell.

- Strategies and Port Governance - including a presentation of on-going research by Drs. Larissa van der Lught, Erasmus University.

- Institutional Frameworks, Political Culture, & Port Governance - including a presentation by Dr. Adolf K.Y. Ng (Hong Kong, PolyU), and Thanos Pallis proposing a special journal issue on the theme.

- Green Ports - including a presentation on the progress of relevant port research by Dr. Thierry Vanelslander, University of Antwerp.

The sponsor for this year's meeting was the Port of Lisbon. The meeting was held in coordination with the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO)

...June 2010...REPEPmembers Thanos Pallis, George Vaggelas, IoannisLagoudis and Thomas Vitsounispresented the following  port studies at the InternationalAssociation of Maritime Economists (IAME) 2010 Conference, that was held inLisbon, Portugal, 7-9 July 2010.

---