We are pleased to announce that Theo Notteboom (Gent University/University of Antwerp/Antwerp Maritime Academy, Belgium), Athanasios Pallis (University of Piraeus, Greece), and Jean-Paul Rodrigue (Hofstra University, New York, US) – a team of leading scholars in their field and authors of the Port Economics, Management and Policy handbook – partner with Circular Flanders.
Supported by Circular Flanders, the team of leading scholars will examine the potential and the role of ports in circular economy implementation and the impacts of the circular economy on seaport ecosystems. The outcomes have been fully integrated as a new chapter in the hardcopy and the online version of the handbook Port Economics, Management and Policy. The inclusion of the outcomes in this handbook is aimed at assessing the notion of ports and the circular economy in a variety of contexts and for a wide audience ranging from students, practitioners to policymakers.
Not just another handbook
Port Economics, Management and Policy provides a comprehensive analysis of the contemporary port industry, showing how ports are organized to serve the global economy and support regional and local development.
This book examines a wide range of seaport topics, covering maritime shipping and international trade, port terminals, port governance, port competition, port policy, and much more. It uses a conceptual background supported by extensive fieldwork and empirical observations, such as analyzing flows, ports, and strategies and policies articulating their dynamics. The port industry is comprehensively investigated in this unique compilation.
Benefitting from the authors’ extensive involvement in shaping the port sector across five continents, students, scholars, and policymakers can also use this as an essential guide towards better port management and governance.
Check out Chapter 2.7 – Ports and the Circular Economy online
The book can be used as a textbook in universities and schools. But it can also be used by any active port professional who wants to have a broad basic knowledge of shipping and ports.
The authors also know that a printed book is outdated even before it is on the market, so they also provide permanent updates through an accompanying website.
The website had 280.000 visitors and 600.000 views in 2023.
The handbook Port Economics, Management and Policy has become the global leading reference work on all aspects related to seaports, and has been endorsed by leading port specialists from academia, international associations (IAPH, AIVP, FEPORT, ESPO, etc…) and port companies. – Thanos Pallis
Increased attention to circularity and ports
The circular economy presents a paradigm shift for seaports, transforming them into actors more actively involved in sustainability and resource management. By addressing the challenges and seizing the opportunities, seaports can establish themselves as vital contributors to a circular global, regional and local economy, ensuring a more resilient and environmentally responsible future. Governments, businesses, and stakeholders must align to support ports toward sustainability and to reap the advantages of adopting circular economy mechanisms.
While the handbook provides a very comprehensive overview and analysis of all aspects relevant to contemporary port economics, management and policy, we felt there is room to further elaborate on some key issues affecting port ecosystems. One of the themes that need a much more detailed analysis in the book is the circular economy and ports. – Theo Notteboom
At present, ports and governments are paying a great deal of attention to the energy transition, or even parts of it, such as hydrogen (flows, infrastructure). Circular challenges are still somewhat overshadowed, and the interactions between energy and circular transitions are not fully recognized. The transition to a circular economy is not something isolated or an add-on to sustainable development. It is also not just about improving the efficiency of the existing economic system, but a fundamental systemic change or transition to the next economy.
New circular economy chapter
Under the heading “Chapter 2.7: Ports and the Circular Economy”, the three authors developed an extensive analysis of the theme of (sea)port ecosystems and the circular economy, covering seven subsections: 1. Circularity and the Circular Economy; 2. The Circular Maritime Economy; 3. Ports as Hubs for Material Sourcing; 4. Port Land Management; 5. Energy Management; 6. Waste Management; and, 7. Strategies for the Circular Economy in Ports. The new chapter analyzes the current practices, development trends, challenges, opportunities, and initiatives adopted by seaports worldwide to transition toward a more sustainable and resilient future.
I am glad to participate with Theo and Thanos (long-term collaborators colloquially known as the ‘Charthouse Group’) on this important addition to the textbook. The goal is not just to provide a synthesis of what already exists concerning the role of ports in a circular economy, but also about providing new concepts and ideas, including an actionable framework for ports. – Jean-Paul Rodrigue
As the Circular Economy theme is very dynamic, the new chapter will evolve further in the near future by enriching its content further with fresh conceptualizations and references to best practices in ports. As such, the chapter aims to keep on providing the latest updated insights on the notion of ports and the circular economy in a variety of contexts. The book’s accompanying website offers a lot of flexibility to the authors to adapt the handbook’s content to reflect trends, inflection points, and signals that new trends and developments in the context in which the circular economy might emerge.
Partnering between the authors and Circular Flanders is clearly a win-win situation, now and in the years to come. Although the partnership now focuses on the integration of a chapter on circular economy in the handbook, it is far from being a one-off product. With continuity in online updates, it is at the same time a longer-term process that guarantees the deepening and enrichment of the debate at an international level. Such a framework can only help build bridges between the circular economy and port communities. – Walter Tempst (Circular Flanders)
The project will also benefit by the visibility of its results and dissemination via the international web initiative PortEconomics, as all three authors of the handbook are co-directors/leading members of this initiative since 2008.
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Circular Economy to be fully integrated in ‘Port Economics, Management and Policy’, a global leading reference handbook
