Rethinking Port Strategies in the Age of Polycrisis

The present introduction examines port strategies through the analytical framework of polycrisis, defined as the entanglement of geopolitical, economic, and environmental crises, characterised by their interconnected nature. This perspective makes it possible to move beyond traditional sectoral approaches and to account for feedback effects and the systemic complexity that shape port dynamics. Historically, the function of ports has been to serve as global logistical nodes, oriented towards competitiveness, territorial attractiveness, and partial privatisation. In the context of polycrisis, their role has expanded: they are increasingly conceived as critical infrastructures, instruments of reindustrialisation, sites of energy and digital transition, and vectors of geopolitical projection. Port governance has become more complex, marked by the growing involvement of public authorities; international and local actors; and civil society. Contemporary strategies are characterised by a duality; on the one hand, there is a pursuit of competitiveness, and on the other hand, there is legal adaptation and commitments to sustainable development. Ports are exposed to pressures operating across multiple spatial and temporal scales, ranging from immediate shocks (such as wars and pandemics) to long-term structural transformations (including ecological, digital, and industrial transitions). These dynamics produce strategic uncertainty and generate tensions between actors and between competing objectives. Finally, the introduction underscores the need to extend scholarly reflection on the future of ports and on emerging port strategies, fostering dialogue between port stakeholders and the academic community.