Book excerpt: Maritime Supply Chains breaks the maritime chain into components, consistently relating them to the overall integrated supply chain. The book not only analyzes and provides solutions to frequently encountered problems and key operational issues, it also applies cutting-edge scientific techniques on the maritime supply chain. Sections consider shipping, ports and terminals, hinterland and the issues that intersect different parts of the chain. Readers will find discussions of the various actors at play and how they relate to the overall function of the supply chain. Finally, the book offers solutions to the most pressing problems, thus providing a unique, well-balanced account. - Provides a comprehensive and integrative account of the maritime supply chain, from shipping, to port, to hinterland - Cuts through the maritime supply chain to offer a transversal picture on how the chain functions - Applies rigorous analytical techniques to give solutions to the most frequent and pressing challenges facing maritime supply chains - Considers advances, such as blockchain, that are set to transform maritime supply chains