Unveiling co-operative networks and 'hidden families' in the container port industry

Over the last few years, the progressive scarcity of land for greenfield projects in ports and the enormous financial resources required to realize new terminal facilities have induced international terminal operators (ITOs) to enter in various types of agreements. In particular, ITOs have growingly resorted to equity joint-ventures (EJVs) to develop new infrastructures and share project risks.This manuscript introduces a multi-layer conceptual framework and investigates the extent of EJVs through a network analysis of inter-firm communities across various nations. The study has been performed on a data set that includes all port facilities operated in 2010 by ITOs. Indeed, 427 terminal facilities and 250 container port operators, that is 40 ITOs and 210 local firms, have been examined. Results show the different co-operative attitudes of ITOs and demonstrate that firms co-operate in a selective way, disclosing emerging patterns and hidden networks of relationships.