Apr 1, 2010 - Mar 31, 2012
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Background and objectives:
The world’s ports have boldly reviewed their traditional management models and have drastically reformed their management systems to cope with port traffic demands and new requirements of port users, both of which are rapidly expanding with the advancement of globalization. They have also been developing new management strategies, including business expansion to broader areas.
On the other hand, Japanese ports have continued to be developed and managed for 60 years without basic changes in the framework of Ports and Harbors Act, established immediately following the Second World War. The government launched the “Super Gateway Ports Policy” in 2004 and revised the Ports and Harbors Act in the following year to promote several measures including port deregulation and improvement of port services. From 2010, the government plans to achieve strategic port management and strengthening of the port management system, aiming to establish “Strategic International Container Ports”.
In light of these circumstances, this study aims to analyze international changes in port management system and strategy and to identify pivotal issues regarding port management with a purpose of producing suggestions for Japan’s port policy.
Perspectives and methods:
First, we will review past research results in terms of management system reform that the world’s major ports have undergone since the 1980s and study changes in the organizational form and feature of port functions. Based on the management system and related information of major ports in different countries, we will analyze characteristics of port reforms and study the temporal deepening and growing of port reforms from an international perspective.
Next, we will select several representative ports and analyze them individually in terms of changes in management system and strategy, including their background, development and progress. Especially through analyses of decisions and measures taken by these ports to deal with strategic issues, we will make it clear how port management systems actually work,.highlighting effects of port reforms.
Lastly, we will analyze the history and current situation of the management system of Japan’s container ports in light of international trends in port reform and discuss the future course of action for the country’s container ports by clarifying their features and issues they face.
Photo:Hamburg Port Authority