Edinburgh Napier University

  During recent years the role of the private sector in seaports has been greatly expanded. Yet in practice the extent of privatisation in ports can vary significantly, in part due to the different methods employed to bring about private sector participation. This paper identifies and analyses, through a survey of ports, recent trends in regard to privatisation at the world’s top-100 container ports. The survey has benefited from, and seeks to extend, an earlier survey undertaken by the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH). Findings suggest that, although the influence of private sector actors in ports is growing, the role of public sector agencies also remains significant.