The Report, now in its ninth edition, addresses the phenomena connected to the maritime economy which have been generated by the two disruptive events that have occurred in recent times. First and foremost, the pandemic with the new Covid-19 variant called Omicron and the Russia-Ukraine war, which is leading to significant changes in terms of routes travelled and ports scaled by ships.
Utmost relevance is given to the increases in freight rates on containers and the growth in the prices of raw materials that are impacting all the mainstream economic indicators at international and national levels. The analysis also focuses on the strategic issue of long logistic chains and on our dependence, from a production point of view, on the Middle and Far East, issues that have become very topical again at a time when the main world ports are grappling with contagions and consequent congestion.
An important part of the Report is dedicated to the new green paradigm of ports, shipping and logistics. Sustainability has now become a strategic element throughout the supply chain and will be for the future as well. The analysis shows how it must become a stable element of the strategies of our country system and no more an extemporaneous one, as it is connected to the mechanisms of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The analyses were carried out by SRM which has made use of long-time established synergies with universities, study centers and international networks such as the University of Antwerp, the Shanghai International Shipping Institute and Port XL of Rotterdam, which have edited specific essays in the volume.