Maritime Transport

Maritime and logistics, business and policy research
Maritime Transport

The Maritime Transport Research Group is located within Plymouth Business School and conducts internationally recognised research into shipping, ports and associated businesses. Through our constant engagement with the industry locally, nationally and internationally, we are able to achieve impact at all levels. Impact is achieved through innovative research in both digitalisation and decarbonisation. These research strands are important for global trade, as the maritime transport sector carries 80% of global trade, and therefore is the backbone of the global economy. Specifically, the areas of expertise/research interest of our group members encompass the following:

  • Green/sustainable shipping and ports
  • The human element of the maritime industry
  • Humanitarian logistics
  • Maritime economics and logistics
  • Maritime security (physical and cyber)
  • Maritime performance measurement
  • Business models
  • Employability in logistics/maritime
  • Maritime law
  • Maritime clusters
  • Maritime law
Our aim and vision is to provide excellent research in maritime transport and logistics, which focuses on digitalisation and decarbonisation. In doing so, we demonstrate the impact of the maritime transport sector both in financial and employment (job creation) terms. A recent example of our contribution is our engagement with two Freeports established in England (Thames and Plymouth).

Research interests include:

  • Maritime Economics: incorporates studies relating to market concentration and competitiveness between ports and maritime organisations at meso- and micro-economic scales and includes systems modelling, optimisation and design, big data, knowledge and information management and financial and economic impacts.
  • Maritime Policy: includes maritime law, maritime regulation and maritime governance centred around interests which include environmental regulation, legal and regulatory processes, human resource issues, social responsibility, community and stakeholder impacts.
  • Maritime sustainability: includes studies related to the environmental impact caused by the maritime transport sector. Maritime transport is an essential stakeholder in the green economy and blue growth, therefore significant measures need to be undertaken to alleviate its environmental impacts at regional and global levels.

Maritime Security: The group has close relations both with the Center for Seapower and Strategy (CSS) and the Maritime Cyber Threat Research group.

The Maritime Cyber Threat Research Group is uniquely placed to make significant contributions in maritime cyber-security and brings together leading-edge multidisciplinary research and practical expertise from across the University and beyond.

The CSS has been set up to meet the clear and growing need to raise knowledge, awareness and understanding of strategic and security issues as they relate to maritime affairs and the use of sea power in the 21st century. The CSS in collaboration with the Maritime Transport Research Group helps inform and shape security policy decision-making by generating education and training opportunities, research, and dialogue and debate across the maritime and security domains.

Research lead – Dr Stavros Karamperidis

Dr Stavros Karamperidis is a Lecturer in Maritime Economics in the Department of International Shipping, Logistics and Operations at the University. Stavros is also regularly invited to deliver guest lectures at various universities and Merchant Maritime Academies around the globe. 
Contact Dr Stavros Karamperidis to find out more about our research or with any further enquiries. 
<p>Dr Stavros Karamperidis<br></p>

Workshop and collaboration with Yaşar University, Turkey

A workshop for the project entitled: 'Knowledge exchange on circular and digital solutions for reducing food waste in supply chain' was held at Yaşar University. Various academics and experts from industry participated in the workshop. The workshop was a fruitful two-day event. Within the scope of the workshop, the issue of reducing food waste with the help of digital technologies was discussed in detail and presentations were made on the subject. In addition, the development of the project was ensured through focus group studies involving all stakeholders in the workshop. This workshop has been extremely beneficial for knowledge exchange. Therefore, thanks to the workshop, knowledge exchange was succeeded between industry, academia and food supply chain stakeholders.
<p>Workshop and collaboration with Yaşar University, Turkey<br></p>

Maritime Transport Research Group seminars

If you want to get involved with our research seminars, please get in touch with Dr Stavros Karamperidis.

Recent group seminars include:

  • COVID-19 and Maritime Supply Chains: Disruptions and Adaptability with Professor Thanos Pallis, the President of International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME).

  • Maritime Fuels with Mr Chris Baker. Chris is a University of Plymouth graduate at BMT Group and a research associate.

  • Combating piracy in the Gulf of Guinea: Lessons from the Horn of Africa experience with the Dartmouth Centre for Sea Power and Strategy.

  • And many more.


Selected publications

Dinwoodie, J., Landamore,M., Rigot-Muller, P. (2014) "Dry bulk shipping flows to 2050: Delphi perceptions of early career specialists", Journal of Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Vol. 88, 66-75.

Kuznetsov,A, Dinwoodie J, Gibbs,D., Sansom, M, Knowles., H. (accepted) "Knowledge capture to inform sustainable maritime operations", International Journal of Operations and Production Management, DOI 10.1108/IJOPM-10-2015-0657.

Park, J.S., Seo, Y.-J. (2016) "The impact of seaports on the regional economies in South Korea: panel evidence from the augmented Solow model", Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Vol. 85, pp. 107-119.

Roh, S., Pettit, S., Harris, I. and Beresford, A. (2015) "The pre-positioning of warehouse at regional and local levels for a humanitarian relief organisation", International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 170 (B), pp. 616-528.

Seo, Y.-J., Dinwoodie, J., Kwak, D.-W. (2014) "The impact of innovativeness on supply chain performance: is supply chain integration a missing link?", Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, Vol. 19 No. 5/6, pp. 733-746.

Yoon, J., Lee, H.Y., Dinwoodie, J., "Competitiveness of container terminal operating companies in South Korea and the industry-university-government network", Transportation Research Part A, Policy and Practice, Vol. 80, pp. 1-14.

Xu, J., Testa, D. & Mukherjee, P. K., (2015) "The use of LNG as a marine fuel: International regulatory framework ", Ocean Development and International Law, Vol. 46 No. 3, pp. 225-240.

Antony, J., Karamperidis, S., Antony, F.-J., and Cudney, E. A., (in press) Understanding and Evaluating Teaching Effectiveness in the UK Higher Education Sector using Experimental Design: A Case Study, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management

Solvang, H., Karamperidis, S., Valantasis-Kanellos, N., Song, D.-W., (in press) An Exploratory Study on the Northern Sea Route as an Alternative Shipping Passage: A Norwegian Perspective. Maritime Policy and Management.

Syltevik, S., Karamperidis, S., Antony, J., Taheri, B., 2018 Lean for Airport Services: a systematic literature review and agenda for future research. International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management. 35 (1), pp.34-49

Karamperidis, S., 2017. Comparative study between physical and cyber-crime in shipping sector. Report was produced for Supply Chain Risk Industry Partnership, October 2017. • Scheuring, F., Karamperidis, S., Craith, M.N., 2017. Social Capital in Collaborative Port Relationships and its Effects on Port Performance. In: 25th International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) Conference, 27-30 June 2017, Kyoto, Japan.

Karamperidis, S., Farrington, T., O’Gorman, K., Bititci, U., 2016 Getting the right thing done in Kefallonia – ethics, cruise industry, and disaster management In: 21st Logistics Research Network (LRN) Conference, 7-9 September 2016, Hull, United Kingdom.

Solvang, H., Karamperidis, S., Valantasis-Kanellos, N., Song, D.-W., 2016. A dynamic capabilities perspective on first mover advantages of Norway in the Northern Sea Route. In: 24th International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) Conference, 23-26 August 2016, Hamburg.