Current Research Themes

The Digitalization of Freight

The integration of information technologies as a support to the management and operations of freight flows over modes, terminals and distribution centers. This includes terminal and vehicle automation as well as transactional systems such as freight exchange platforms and digital ledger systems.

Maritime Shipping and Global Trade

Vertical and horizontal integration in liner shipping, terminal operations and logistics. Developments in seaport systems in light of shifting socioeconomic trends, geopolitics and capacity changes. The insertion of transshipment hubs in shipping networks.

The Governance of Intermodal Transportation Assets

Investigating public and private roles and strategies in the setting and operations of global freight distribution systems. The role of global equity firms, terminal operators and shipping companies in global supply chains. The financing of global supply chains.

Logistics and Global Production Networks

Investigating conceptual and empirical aspects behind the emerging geography of logistics and freight distribution. Particular issues involve teh fourth industrial revolution, global production networks, international / regional freight distribution, shifts in manufacturing, third-party logistics, location within complex multinational supply chains, green/reverse logistics and sustainability.

City Logistics

Issues related to the urban circulation of goods. Urban and suburban freight distribution. Urban logistics zones. Impacts of ecommerce and reverse logistics. Sustainable urban freight transport systems.

Gateways, Corridors and Inland Freight Distribution

Investigating the relationships between major transport gateways and regional / urban freight distribution. Specific aspects involve inland terminals, rail transportation, the logistics industry, distribution centers and distribution clusters (logistics zones).

The Containerization of Commodities and Cold Chain Logistics

The impacts of the containerization of the commodity sector, its niche market opportunities and its effects on global and regional container flows. The emerging market of refrigerated containers supporting food trade (perishables).

The Migration, Relocation and Regionalization of Port Terminals

Investigating the impacts of globalization processes on transport terminals, notably maritime and rail terminals and freight distribution centers. Involves the regionalization of hinterlands, economic cycles and international trade.

Cruise Shipping

Geographical aspects of the industry, including itineraries and ports of calls. Cruise markets, seasonality and network configuration.

Past Research Themes

Tools for Spatial Analysis of Transport Systems (1999-2005)

Investigating applied issues of online geographical education. Received several contracts to develop thematic information on the World Wide Web, notably Transport Geography and Global Economy. Applying multimedia tools in the classroom by developing multimedia lectures and online information accessible to students.

Transportation, Land Use and the Urban Environment (1998-2001)

Environmental issues of the transport sector in view of fast urban development, economic change and the promotion of urban sustainability.

Mega-Urban Regions in East and Southeast Asia (1992-1996)

The spatial organization of Pacific Asian urban regions in view of increasing local and regional integration to the global economy. Expanded the concepts of transportation corridors, gateways, socio-economic change and regional urbanization.

New Methodologies for Transportation / Land Use Modeling and Planning (1990-1995)

Investigated issues and prospects of knowledge-based methods in transportation / land use modeling and planning. This included GIS, neural networks, fuzzy sets, semantic networks and decision support systems.

Peer Reviewer

• Journal of Shipping and Trade (Editor)
• Journal of Transport Geography (International Editorial Board)
• Cahiers Scientifiques du Transport (International Editorial Board)
• European Journal of Transport and Infrastructure Research (International Editorial Board)
• Transport Reviews (International Editorial Board)
• Annals of Operations Research
• Applied Economics
• Asia Pacific Viewpoint
• Canadian Geographer
• Case Studies on Transport Policy
• Computers, Environment and Urban Systems
• Economic Geography
• Economic Development Quarterly
• Energy
• Energy Policy
• Environment and Planning A
• European Journal of Transport and Infrastructure Research
• Geographical Research: Journal of the Institute of Australian Geographers
• Geographical Systems
• Geojournal
• Growth and Change
• International Journal of Hospitality Management
• International Journal of Sustainable Transportation
• International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics
• International Journal of Tourism Research
• International Journal of Transport Economics
• International Journal of Urban and Regional Research
• Journal of Infrastructure Systems
• Journal of Planning Education and Research
• Journal of Shipping and Trade
• Journal of Transport Policy
• Journal of Transport and Land Use (International Editorial Board, 2007-2012)
• Journal of Urbanism
• Journal of Urban Affairs
• Journal of Urban History
• Journal of Urban Technology
• Maritime Policy & Management
• Marine Policy
• Natural Hazards
• Nature Communications
• Networks and Spatial Economics
• New York Transportation Journal
• Population Research and Policy Review
• Professional Geographer
• Public Works Management and Policy
• Regional Studies
• Research in Transportation Business & Management
• Research in Transportation Economics
• Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography
• Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie (Journal of Economic and Social Geography)
• Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers
• Transportation
• Transportation Letters
• Transport Policy
• Transportation Research Part A
• Transportation Research Part E
• Transportation Research Record
• Transportation Research Board
• Transport Reviews
• Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change
• WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs
• Anonymous reviewer for many governmental and private research funding agencies as well as book editors.

Research Supervision

• Carla A. Tejada (2023) “Urban Freight Transportation: The Interactions of Home Deliveries in Cities”, The City of University of New York. Member of the PhD thesis jury.
• Paul Wayne Wright (2023) “The Global Logistics Hub: Problems, Perceptions and Possibilities for Jamaica”, The University of the West Indies. Member of the PhD thesis jury.
• Kosowska-Stamirowska, Zuzanna (2019) “Évolution et robustesse du reseau maritime mondial : une approche par les systèmes complexes” Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France. Member of the PhD thesis jury.
• Lavissiere, Alexandre (2014) “Free Ports of the 21st century, a logistic approach of the phenomenon” KEDGE Business School, Marseille, France. Member of the PhD thesis jury.
• Potter, Cuz (2010) “Boxed In: How Intermodalism Enabled Destructive Interport Competition”, School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University, Member of the PhD thesis jury.
• Lee, Jung Yoon (2005-06) Supervisikon of Ph.D. Student from the Seoul National University, Korea, as a visiting schoolar. Project: logistical platforms and freight corridors in Pacific Asia. Successful completion of PhD in 2006.
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