A study on socio-economic effects of Italian ports

Abstract

Seaports are not longer considered to be single entities for which the main activity is to load and discharge cargo, but rather as fundamental hubs within a complex supply chain serving global production networks. From a public perspective, they hold a key role in terms of their economic impact at the local, regional and national level by generating value added activity and employment. This issue is becoming increasingly pivotal for ports and their stakeholders. The objective of the study is to estimate a regression model of the value added activity and employment figures of 17 Italian ports for which there are no publications available. Concerning port system reform in Italy, the research intends to provide policy makers with a tool to measure the effects produced by ports and their importance to local communities and regions. The paper finds that in all Italian ports, the direct effects are larger than the indirect effects, and the bigger socio-economic effects are found in the biggest ports.