Business Models for Strategic Connectivity in Maritime Logistics and Port Ecosystems

Mini Track Chair:

  • Maria CARATAȘ, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
  • Irene ROSBERG,Copenhagen Business School / Blue MBA, Denmark

This mini-track explores how maritime logistics and port ecosystems develop business models that support strategic connectivity, competitiveness, and long-term adaptation in a changing international environment. It focuses on the role of ports and related transport networks as key enablers of exchange, coordination, and regional integration, with particular attention to how organizations respond to technological change, infrastructure pressures, and evolving trade patterns.

The track aims to examine how firms, institutions, and public actors build value through improved connectivity, collaborative governance, and operational innovation. It is especially relevant for research on the Port of Constanța and the Middle Corridor, where questions of leadership, intermodal integration, digitalization, and strategic positioning intersect with broader themes of knowledge, technology, and energy transition.

Keyword: Maritime logistics; Port leadership; Digital ecosystems; Artificial intelligence; Smart ports; Sustainability

The main topics covered by the hereby call for papers are related to:

  • Business model innovation in maritime logistics and port ecosystems.
  • Strategic connectivity and regional integration in transport networks.
  • The role of the Port of Constanța in changing trade and logistics flows.
  • The Middle Corridor as a strategic route for interregional connectivity.
  • Leadership, governance, and stakeholder coordination in port environments.
  • Digital transformation and data-driven decision-making in logistics systems.
  • Infrastructure, capacity, and intermodal integration in maritime transport.
  • Resilience, competitiveness, and adaptation in port and corridor systems.
  • Value creation through collaboration across public and private actors.
  • Ports as strategic nodes in knowledge-, technology-, and energy-driven transitions.

Maria-Alina Carataș
is an experienced lecturer at the UNESCO Department for Business Administration, Bucharest University of Economic Studies. Her teaching and research focus on sustainability, organizational strategy, and innovation in business and public administration. She has contributed to multiple EU-funded projects promoting inclusive education, regional development, and the implementation of nature-based solutions, with a particular emphasis on marine pollution reduction and sustainable growth in the Black Sea region.

Irene Rosberg
is the Director of the Executive MBA in Shipping and Logistics (The Blue MBA) at Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Europe’s leading program in maritime management. She has been responsible for the program’s design, development, and coordination since its inception. Ms. Rosberg plays a key role in building global partnerships and advancing research on emerging challenges and strategic transformations in the maritime industry. She serves on several international boards and committees and is a frequent speaker at leading global maritime events.

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