Archive of past MLBP and CEMLEF events

'Topics in Shipping Logistics & Port Management'

Mr Sihyun Kim, Mr Young-Joon Seo and Dr Hee Yong Lee

Date: Wednesday 26 June 2013

Time: 3pm – 5pm

Venue: Rolle Building, Room 006

Abstract 

Three presentations introduce the upcoming issues in shipping and the port industry in Northeast Asia. The title of each presentation is: 1st, The Impact of Sustainability Practises on Competitiveness in Busan: A Mega Container Port in Northeast Asia, 2nd, Co-opetition for Collaborative Advantage in Supply Chains involving Maritime Organisations and 3rd, Competitiveness of Container Terminal Operating Companies and Industry-University-Government Network: Antecedents and Empirical Relationships.

The 1st presentation aims to introduce the opportunities to enhance competitiveness arising from implementing sustainability practises in mega container port operations, to conceptualise the role of sustainability practise in managing mega port competitiveness. Key words include port sustainability practises, competitiveness, eega-container port and Northeast Asia.

The 2nd aims to introduce the causal relationship between co-opetition and collaborative advantage within a supply chain context within a port, and propose a framework for collaborative advantage derived from co-opetition in accordance with both resource-based and relational views. Key words: co-opetition, supply chains, collaborative advantage, maritime organizations.

The 3rd is to introduce antecedents of competitiveness in South Korean CTOC (Container Terminal Operator Company) by considering both hardware and software factors, and their empirical relationships among antecedents of competitiveness, I-U-G (Industry-University-Government) network and competitiveness. Keywords: container terminal operating companies (CTOCs), competitiveness of CTOCs, antecedents of competitiveness, I-U-G network.

The results are expected to be utilised further in future studies on strategic planning in shipping & port management in NEA, and to provide and develop guidance for the port industry in its future improvement strategy.

Biographical information 

1st presenter: Mr Sihyun Kim, a year 2 PhD student at Plymouth University studying international shipping and logistics, with research interests in the field of international shipping and container port management. Professor John Dinwoodie, Professor Michael Roe, and Dr Syamantak Bhattacharya are his supervisors. 

2nd presenter: Mr Young-Joon Seo, 2nd year of PhD research in International Shipping, Logistics and Operation Group, Graduate School of Management, Plymouth University, with supervising team: 1st Professor John Dinwoodie, 2nd Professor Michael Roe.

3rd presenter: Dr Hee Yong Lee, Research Fellows studying international shipping and logistics in Plymouth Business School, with research interests in the field of international container terminal management and I-U-G Networks. Research sponsor: Professor John Dinwoodie.

'The Effect of the Financial Crisis on TFP Growth: A General-Equilibrium Approach'

Dr Anamaria Nicolae 

Date: Wednesday 12 June

Time: 3pm - 4.30pm 

Abstract

In this paper, we use a simple endogenous growth model to show how a financial crisis, such as we have been through recently, might have a permanent effect on the level of total factor productivity (TFP). In the model, a financial shock leads to a rise in the spread between the rate of interest paid by firms and the risk-free rate. Since firms have to borrow to finance their research and development (R&D) spending, such a rise in the spread leads to a fall in R&D spending, which affects innovation and, hence, reduces TFP growth. In turn, this leads to permanent falls in the levels of output and labour productivity.

You can download the relevant working paper by Dr Anamaria Nicolae. 

Biographical information

Anamaria's research interests are in the field of monetary economics and, more recently, in explaining the productivity puzzle we are seeing in the UK after the recent financial crisis. Anamaria has a PhD in economics from Durham University and works as a lecturer in economics at Durham University. She recently spent her sabbatical at the Bank of England and has published in leading journals such as the Journal of Money, Credit and Banking. 

'Urban System and Climate Change: Why Countries with Taller Cities Fight Climate Change Harder?'

Professor Kristof Dascher of Touro College, Berlin 

Date: Wednesday 20 February 2013

Abstract 

Suppose the tax on carbon consumption goes up. Then not only do commuting costs go up, too. Also, rents go up in almost all intra-urban locations. Landlords can be shown to benefit from this rise in urban rental income if (and only if) cities are dense at the centre. This suggests an urban form-based explanation of why a majority of European voters, but not of American voters, appear to embrace a policy of fighting climate change. 

Biographical information 

Kristof's research interests are in the fields of housing, urban economics and, more recently, the economics of climate change. He has a PhD from the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder), for which he received the August-Loesch Award in Regional Science. Kristof was as a postdoc at University College Dublin and held positions at the European University Viadrina and the Universities of Freiburg, Paderborn and Potsdam. He is now Professor of Economics at the Touro College Berlin. Kristof is a member of the Research Committee for Regional Economics of the German Economic Association. He has published in leading journals such as the Journal of Urban Economics and Public Choice.

'The global freight shipping system and its future energy demand, efficiency and sustainability'

Dr Tristan Smith, School of Business and Economics UCL

Date: Wednesday 6 March 2013 

Venue: Plymouth University

The seminar

The Centre for Maritime Logistics, Economics and Finance welcomed Dr Tristan Smith from the School of Business and Economics UCL. On Wednesday 6 March 2013, as part of the CEMLEF research seminar series, Dr Tristan Smith discussed 'The global freight shipping system and its future energy demand, efficiency and sustainability'. Students, academics and staff at Plymouth University listened avidly to the seminar and had a plethora of questions for Dr Smith which concluded the event. 

Abstract 

Freight shipping is the workhorse of globalisation. Experiencing steady increases in its economies of scale and efficiency over recent decades, it has enabled societies around the world to trade almost irrespective of distance resulting in economic growth. However, for the first time shipping faces significant pressures that could reverse some of these trends. Specifically: rising oil prices and pressure to internalise its negative externalities (pollution and greenhouse gas emissions). How well can shipping handle these challenges? What might some of the solutions be? What could be the consequences to society? 

About the speaker

Dr Tristan Smith is a lecturer in Energy and Transport at the UCL Energy Institute, where he leads a shipping modelling and analysis research group. Tristan has degrees in Engineering and Naval Architecture. He has a number of years’ experience as a naval architect in the UK Ministry of Defence, and has won an international award for his work on ship safety. Since January 2010, Tristan has been the coordinator of the project Low Carbon Shipping – A Systems Approach, leading two of the six work packages on ‘modelling the global shipping system’ and ‘regulation policy and incentives for low carbon shipping’. He attends IMO MEPC and associated meetings as a delegate of RINA and IMarEST. On the subject of shipping efficiency and emissions, he is a contributing author to work published at the IMO, at UNEP, in the UK Committee on Climate Change and a number of academic books and papers, and has carried out consultancy work for a number of organisations including Shell and the IEA.