ECONOMICS OF TRANSPORTS AND LOGISTICS

The course aims to provide students with a conceptual framework and a set of analytical tools to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired in previous foundation courses in economics to the field of transport economics.
Building on key concepts from microeconomics and macroeconomics, the first part of the course provides the analytical foundations required to understand the functioning of transport systems, with particular emphasis on the flows and networks that underpin connectivity within the global economy. Particular attention will be devoted to the economic drivers of international trade and to the respective roles of producing and consuming countries.
The second part of the course introduces the concept of logistics as the practical and operational framework through which transport activities are organised and economic systems interact. Logistics will therefore be examined not simply as a transport-related activity, but as a key component of the organisation and functioning of modern supply chains.
The course will examine the evolution of transport economics, focusing on how different economic theories and changing economic and institutional conditions have shaped its development, as well as on how logistics has progressively adapted to changing market requirements in order to improve efficiency and economic performance. This historical and conceptual perspective will provide the basis for analysing the main forces currently driving structural changes in global connectivity, trade integration and supply chains.
Within this framework, particular attention will be devoted to the evolution and increasing specialisation of transport technologies aimed at improving efficiency and reducing transport costs and transit times. The development of containerisation represents a particularly significant example of this process. A further focus will be placed on the European Union’s transport policy, including the development of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), and on the role of ports as strategic nodes connecting long-distance maritime transport with inland and regional transport networks.
Finally, the course will examine the major forces currently reshaping the global economic and transport landscape. Geopolitical crises, climate change and the digital transition—particularly the growing role of artificial intelligence in industrial and logistics processes—are increasingly challenging the model of globalisation that, until relatively recently, was widely regarded as a major driver of global economic development. These forces are contributing to a reconfiguration of international trade relations, production systems and global supply chains.
As economic models and patterns of production and trade evolve, logistics systems respond by adapting their technologies, organisational structures and operational solutions. Understanding this interaction between economic change, transport systems and logistics is therefore essential for assessing how firms and supply chains can improve efficiency, resilience and competitiveness in an increasingly complex global environment.

Knowledge and understanding of the evolution of freight transport flows and their relationship with the competitiveness of economies at different geographical scales.
Knowledge of the main analytical models used to identify the determinants of the geographical distribution of freight flows, and of their interaction with transport infrastructure networks and the spatial location of economic activities.
Knowledge and understanding of the operational and logistics tools through which economic systems interact in practice, including the organisation and management of freight flows by the main transport and logistics operators.

Principles of general and applied (regional and transport) economics, basic knowledge of economic geography and strategy and organization design, working knowledge of English language.

CONTENTS OF THE COURSE
Measuring the size of an economy; role, determinants and evolution of trade;
Trade policies
The EU single market, network and strategies
How geopolitics affects trades
Global Value and Global Supply Chains
Maritime transport, Maritime transport: main trade routes and features of the sea-based transport
Ports: logistic hub between sea and land
Land-based transport networks to connect economic systems – the EU TEN-T
Logistics, as everything needs to be organized: armies, people, goods…
From point to point – how logistics guarantees the satisfaction of customer requirements

SUGGESTED READINGS:
Musolino, P., Our Sea: Ports, Innovations, Power and the New Mediterranean Order.
UNCTAD (2025), Review of Maritime Transport 2025.
UNCTAD (2025), Trade and Development Report 2025.
A selection of academic papers and articles indicated during the course.
Lecture slides and additional teaching materials provided during the course and made available online through Moodle.

The exam takes place through a written test consisting in answering some questions related to the topics discussed in the course.
The question will be formulated in order to verify the ability to use concepts and methods acquired and used in the course with reference to Italian, European and world realities

written

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

Grades out of 30 will take into account the demonstrated ability to critically use concepts and knowledge acquired during the course.

Cooperative learning and case studies. Students are required to actively paticipate to the classroom debate

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