The role of river ports in Western Europe in the logistics handling of freight turnover
The expansion of international economic cooperation, which consequently leads to an increase in transport intensity, means that increasing the competitiveness of the economy is largely dependent on the ability to reduce costs incurred both in the production process and in the movement of goods. Cost optimization is therefore one of the fundamental goals of modern management of production and movement processes. This goal is achieved primarily through the use of logistics concepts based on the appropriate coordination of production with material flows and the stream of finished products intended for the final recipient. These actions aim to reduce the demand for transport and warehousing services both in the material supply phase and in the distribution phase of finished products. The realization of this goal is primarily associated with the need to create logistics platforms that bring together so-called logistics service providers in a specific area.
Urban-industrial centers, whose attribute is significant transport accessibility, i.e., those fulfilling the function of communication hubs, primarily aspire to this role. Ports – both maritime and inland, which are naturally connected to the hinterland by a network of road and rail routes, and are also equipped with transshipment and storage potential, can play an important role in the process of creating logistics centers that constitute an essential link in supply chains in the material supply and finished product distribution phases.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 2/2003.