Maritime Transport Between Conflict and Cooperation: The Implications of Logistic Rerouting in the Mediterranean Basin - The Case of the Port of Trieste

The contribution focuses on the complex dynamics of maritime transport in the Mediterranean basin, with particular attention to local and regional implications arising from global crisis contexts. In particular, it will focus on the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the resulting bottlenecks on logistics chains, such as the Houthi conflict and the blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint, on the strategic choices of ship owners and the reconfiguration of maritime routes. The events of the last few years have highlighted the fragility of globalised logistics chains and the strategic importance of certain chokepoints. Tensions in the Middle East have triggered a series of chain reactions in the maritime sector, with some shipowners opting for alternative solutions, such as circumnavigating Africa, to avoid the risks associated with transit through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. However, other actors have continued to use traditional routes, carefully weighing the costs and benefits of each option. The analysis will focus on the case of the Port of Trieste, a strategic logistics node in the Mediterranean, to understand how the new dynamics of maritime transport are affecting port activities and trade relations with countries in the basin. The opportunities and challenges for the port of Trieste in this context will be examined, with particular reference to the potential effects of reshoring and nearshoring on the region's production and logistics activities1. Through a multi-scalar approach, which integrates elements of geopolitics, maritime economics and logistics, the study aims to provide an original contribution to the understanding of the transformations taking place in the maritime transport sector and their implications for local and regional economies, including the Weberian logic of localisation, in the light of the transformations taking place in the circular economy. In particular, an attempt will be made to answer the following questions: – How have the geopolitical crises in the Middle East influenced the strategic choices of shipowners operating in the Mediterranean? – What are the main consequences of the reconfiguration of maritime routes for ports in the Mediterranean basin, and for the Port of Trieste in particular? – What are the opportunities and challenges related to reshoring and nearshoring for local and regional economies? – What are the policies and interventions that can be adopted at local, national and international level to strengthen the resilience of logistics chains and promote the sustainable development of maritime transport?