PSI - Issue 62

Marco Perazzi et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 62 (2024) 225–232 M. Perazzi et al./ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000 – 000

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1. Introduction Seaports, as significant maritime transport hubs, have a marked influence on the economic, social and environmental development of countries at regional, national and European levels (Ayesu et al., 2023, Hlali et al., 2017). In recent years, aspects of transport safety are becoming an indispensable component of maritime logistics (Tadic et al., 2017). In order to achieve safe and sustainable maritime transportation and business activities, several countries have implemented port governance structures with transparent objectives (Russo et al., 2023). Port governance is related to the mutual influence between the public and private sectors which affect port organization at various levels. This is a complicated question that depends on the different historical eras, on the physical geography in which the ports are located, on the cultures that have alternated and lastly, but not least, on the different modes of political, economic and administrative organisation (De Martino et al., 2020, Gracia et al., 2022). In recent years, significant seaport reforms have required a reflection on conventional seaport organization models. The evolution of port governance has increased the autonomy and responsibility of the port authority, giving it a broader role in the entire transport context. (Marques Soares et al., 2022, Ferrari et al., 2015) Port authorities have historically been responsible for the development and evolution of the port area in relation to the safety of port operations, the design, construction and maintenance of infrastructure and the operation and management of port infrastructure. (O’Connor et al., 2023, Gha rehgozli et al. 2016) By acting as a port management body, the port authority takes on a public, commercial, economic and social dimension. The Port Authorities pursue various objectives of collective interest to society, such as: promoting tourism, commerce and industry, ensuring the evolution of the sustainability of the port, improving maritime connectivity and interconnection with road, railway and airport networks, etc. (Kammoun et al. 2022, Puig et al., 2017) In recent years, new developments in port strategies have appeared: port authorities are changing their nature and function, increasingly taking an active role in the management of logistics systems and sometimes adopting management and entrepreneurial behaviors (Cepolina & Ghiara, 2013). Numerous ports are seeking to develop integrated management systems (IMS) for maritime operations safety, worker safety, terminal rail and road safety, business continuity and emergency management, and quality and environment . (Andriani et al., 2019, Antão et al. 2016, Fang et al., 2017, Filippeschi et al., 2020) The introduction of an integrated SMS is one of the key elements to facilitate the development of sea ports and an integrated SMS facilitates the functioning of the interfaces between port operators ensuring a safe business. An integrated SMS can also be an effective, real-time, flexible and complex system that enables greater efficiency and safety in all processes and phases of loading and unloading operations, inside and outside the seaport terminal. (Hsu, 2012, Lee Lam et al., 2017, Li, 2017, Rak et. al, 2016, Takahashi et al., 2017) With a higher level of collaboration and integration between the port and the operators, greater operational safety is achieved. The Port Authority plays a critical role in the implementation of the SMS, considering that in most countries it is responsible for the coordination of private companies operating in the port area. (Tammepuu et al., 2017, Tseng et al. 2017, Wang, 2021, Yami et al. 2017) In general, there is a lack of research and scientific articles that offer a complete overview of the role of Port Authorities in port governance and in the implementation of an integrated SMS. To improve understanding of the topic, the authors conducted a study on this argument. Italy plays an important role in maritime trade as it has 8,000 km of coastline. The 2023 "Italian Maritime Economy" report highlights how the Mediterranean is increasingly central to international maritime trade. In particular, in 2022, Italian ports handled over 490 million tonnes of goods, recording an increase of 1.9% compared to 2021. The objectives of this article are to illustrate the role of the Italian Port Authority in the governance and management of the seaport and in promoting the implementation of an integrated SMS. This document attempts to provide a better understanding of the topic of SMS implementation and the possible improvement of safety of operations and infrastructures in seaports.