Value creation in port: the customer perspective

The paper addresses port competitiveness and value creation from a strategic management perspective. It is believed that the traditional Porter's interpretation of value is not enough to interpreter the port value creation process. In the complex port environment, port customer's value is not exclusively created by a single company, but it is co-produced by actors that exchange resources, share knowledge and build supply chain capability for the pursuit of goal achievement. Crucial role is played by resources especially those of public responsibility (terminal, quay, modal connections, etc) that to different degrees affect the supply of service through the port. In this respect, the Port Authority covers a determining role, as it is called to identify those resources, the so called "critical assets" that on different levels can promote the development of inter-organizational relationships between the various port actors and thus promote the process of adding value for the end customer.