The position of the Italian port system in the changing European and international context: threats and opportunities

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to provide an overview of the modalities with which the major trends that have been wide spreading in the world of today have affected ports and the maritime sector in Europe. Firstly, a digression concerning the relevance of ports for intermodal transportation throughout the European area will be presented, focusing in particular on the function of those structures, usually determined by their nature and physical characteristics. Secondly, after a brief digression about the winds of change which have globally affected the transportation field in the last decades, the attention will be drawn to the existing geo-political and geo-economic differences between the Northern and the Southern European port systems. The lack of a European common regulation on the maritime subject, the ever more required adaptability to the continuously evolving commercial and economic sectors, the ever stricter environmental standards, and the problem of financing port reforms are among the most challenging problems that ports are called to face in the modern era. Thirdly, the attention will be focused on the Mediterranean sea and its international revaluation, that risks to be undermined by a tough competition between ports belonging to this same region. Then, some of the projects involving this area in recent years will be presented. Lastly, some considerations about the Italian situation will be provided, in order to understand what has already been done and what remains to do for the improvement of the position of our country in the international scenario.