Efficiency developments at European North Range container terminals

Container ports are critical nodes in global production networks and their ability to enhance efficiencies within supply chains and to extract value from them has become a competitive factor. Several performance measurement tools have been developed and frequently applied to measure the efficiency of container ports or container terminals and identify further improvement initiatives. Based on a number of advantages favouring its application to a complex seaport system, the non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method has evolved into a preferred tool in academia. DEA enables efficiency measurement of container terminals in different geographical regions although its capabilities have not been applied solely to one special region with anticipated significant growth potential in a competitive environment: the European North Range. In addition, analysis of the efficiency development of North Range container terminals over time is seen as offering valuable insights for further improvement decisions. Thus, the main aim of this contribution is to analyse efficiency developments at 24 European North Range container terminals over a 5-year period from 2006 to 2010 with DEA. Furthermore, terminals are compared by their throughput ranking and operating system. Finally, the relevance of measures to improve efficiency at the terminal level is discussed and possibilities for future research are highlighted.