Spatio-temporal evolution and location factors of port and shipping service enterprises: A case study of the Yangtze River Delta

As an important link in the global network of value chains and supply chains, the evolution of the function of modern ports depends on changes in the distribution of freight volume and shipping routes among ports, along with changes in terms of interdependence and spatial differentiation between various port and shipping service enterprises (PSSEs), such as shipping companies, multimodal transport providers, freight forwarders, and shipping financial institutions. On the basis of defining the connotation of PSSEs, this study takes the Yangtze River Delta as a research case and uses the three-axis rotation method, standard deviational ellipse, and spatial interpolation simulation to analyse the distribution pattern and evolution characteristics of PSSEs from 2002 to 2019. The discrete regression model was used to explore the main factors affecting the location choice of various PSSEs. The characteristics of the spatial and temporal evolution of PSSEs in the Yangtze River Delta are as follows: (1) The structure of the PSSEs in the Yangtze River Delta is in the process of continuous upgrading. It presents a ‘medium-high-low’ pattern in which medium-end enterprises are dominant, and high-end enterprises are increasing rapidly. (2) The spatial distribution of low- and high-end enterprises is concentrated, and medium-end enterprises are more dispersed. The distribution centre of medium- and low-end enterprises moves westward, while the distribution centre of high-end enterprises turns eastward. (3) The growth rates of medium- and high-end enterprises are much higher than those of low-end enterprises. The analysis of location factors based on the conditional logit model demonstrates that the factors affecting PSSEs are becoming increasingly complex. Besides the influence of traditional location factors such as the economy and transportation of the hinterland, they are also affected by emerging factors such as informatization and the level of financial development. Moreover, the impact of external factors, such as globalization, marketisation, and servitisation, is also rising significantly.