Transport and Logistics in a Globalizing World : A Focus on Italy

Globalization of the economy, fragmentation of the production process, increasing externalization of TNCs activities through their global value chains and the widespread adoption of Just-in-Time have increased the flows of raw materials, intermediate goods and finished products, with a direct effect on the transport and logistics industry. This industry, indeed, plays a key role in connecting the different import and export markets and the vertically disaggregated components of production system, which are widespread in the world. The existing literature on transport and logistics is mainly focused on engineering research, transportation economics and management studies, disregarding the view of regional economics, which relates with the impact of economics on space, and therefore, on the impact of internationalisation on a specific industry - transport and logistics and its effects on space. The present book aims to fill the gap in the existing literature by presenting the state of the art of the impact of globalisation and internationalisation of the economy on this industry and focusing on the case of Italy.