Adriatic ports in the evolving dynamics of the Mediterranean maritime landscape

Relatively peripheral to both Europe and the Mediterranean core business markets, the Adriatic Sea is characterized by a high intensity of maritime transport, relatively scattered on many small and medium-sized ports. Despite the "maritime cul-de-sac" position of the Adriatic Sea, traffic growth is particularly significant over the past decade, in particular large container ships, as well as ro-ro and oil tankers. As Central Europe becomes more integrated into international trade due to recent inland and Trans European corridors, some new markets opportunities are emerging for Adriatic ports. Although their total tonnage are still modest compared with those of their North Sea and Western Mediterranean counterparts, these ports have new ambitions, given the European outlook and modernized inland transportation networks. This paper examines the positioning of Adriatic ports in the more global context of the Mediterranean Sea: with only 1% of the surface area of the seas, the Mediterranean alone concentrates 25% of the world’s maritime traffic. Today, with a globalised and highly competitive shipping industry, the Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea are experiencing a real restructuring in the maritime and port sectors leading to the emergence of major strategic disruptions that represent challenges and opportunities. Two central elements will be addressed. Firstly, an analysis of the review of container terminal operators will examine the integration of the region’s ports into the shipping industry’s global strategies. Secondly, the use of AIS (Automatic Identification System) will enable us to understand the operational reality of this maritime network.