Macroeconomic competition between regions and countries has intensified dramatically
in recent years, and as a result, selection of a favourable location and organisation of a
logistics node plays an important role in determining a region’s ability to participate in
emergent globalisation opportunities. Global connectivity of an area and its related
industries, together with their ability to retain and further develop a ‘competitive
advantage’, requires a significant review of the way in which a region interfaces with
the rest of the world.
The Logistics City-Cluster concept, which is one of the latest manifestations of a
logistics node, is believed to be a suitable strategy to address these changes.
However, whilst the Logistics City-Cluster is accepted by industry as a viable and
unique concept, the nature of composition, characteristics and impact is still
fragmented and very limited. The continued growth of this new strategy has made it
imperative to develop a coherent knowledge base, ensuring future orderly
development. Hence, this research was twofold: first, it sought to contribute to the
theoretical knowledge of the common enabling elements of a Logistics City-Cluster and
of their core influential factors; and secondly to explore the underlying assumptions that
sustainable regional growth can be provided by such a concept.