Port Industrialization

After World War II, the world went through important changes, consequently, ocean transportation experienced drastic technological improvements. For instance, ships increased in size drastically in an effort to reduce costs. This capacity increment became more evident in the oil related vessels and it has now extended to freight lines and ports causing the evolution of world commerce and the specialization of production.

Ports like Rotterdam, Antwerp and Singapore among others became important continental hubs and rapidly surpassed their status of commercial port by including a new objective in their goal: to become ‘industrial ports’. By attracting industrial facilities, these ports not only benefit in terms of port installations, but it also is an opportunity to achieve better utilization of their maritime infrastructure.

Some ports have evolved in fields that are not related to their assets. For instance, ports with no oil resources have became important petroleum processors, ports with no iron ore have became relevant steel producers. Also, ports have been the engines that move the industrial activity of the region and thus are promoters of trade of manufactured goods.…