Northern sea route as an emerging option for global transport networks: a policy perspective

• Published in: WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs
• Main Authors: Karamperidis, Stavros, Valantasis Kanellos, Nikolaos
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Technological University Dublin 2022
• Subjects: Northern Sea Route; First Movers Advantage; Dynamic Capabilities Theory; Delphi method; Nordic countries; Operations and Supply Chain Management; Transportation Engineering; Faroe Islands; Greenland; Norway; Iceland
• Online Access: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/nitlart/41; https://doi.org/10.1007/s13437-022-00273-3; https://arrow.tudublin.ie/context/nitlart/article/1041/viewcontent/NSR_for_Global_Transport__MANUSCRIPT_.pdf

The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is an emerging alternative route to the Suez Canal; however, inconclusive research exists on its benefits and viability. This paper uses a two-stage Delphi approach to collect qualitative data from experts, on what actions Nordic countries[1] can undertake to prepare themselves to enter NSR and capture potential benefits deriving from trading in global transport networks. By conceptually developing a framework based on First Movers Advantage (FMA) and Dynamic Capabilities Theory (DCT), this paper empirically identifies a path to develop capabilities that could allow stakeholders to reduce logistics costs through collaborations in NSR. Our paper has made a twofold contribution, first to literature by linking FMA/DCT in a single framework and elaborating it in a global transportation and logistics context. Second, a practical contribution by identifying how countries along the NSR, and specifically Nordic countries, can capture and maximise its benefits by using the right policy framework. [1] Nordic countries are: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, as well as the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland (Nordic Co-operation, 2020).