Logistics chain responsiveness to war impacts: A case study in North Adriatic Region

The Russian-Ukraine conflict outbreak abruptly interrupted the sea-road intermodal service which provided some metal companies in the Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia with semi-finished steel products coming from the Ukrainian port of Mariupol. Those companies were then forced to find an alternative supply source to feed their production system, which entailed the arrival of oceanic vessels with a greater cargo load, but at a lower frequency. Such changes implied significant consequences both on the maritime and the land side and requested the employment of trucks, train and barges to transfer the increased volume of goods. Moreover, those variations generated additional costs for all the involved operators, threating the survivability of the whole supply chain and, thus, of an important share of the regional economy. In this paper, a methodology combining process modelling and quantitative analysis has been applied, first, to gain an in-depth understanding of the case study and then, to suggest modifications to existing policies. Such investigation techniques enabled, on one hand, to identify process bottlenecks and, on the other hand, to examine infrastructural and financial consequences for each considered transport mode. Results revealed the need of adjusting the current strategic vision especially with reference to the development of the infrastructural networks, the introduction of incentive schemes and the availability of skilled people operating in logistics. The proposed lines of action are meant to foster the resilience of the analysed supply chain at economic, environmental and social level.