Business Observation Tool analysis of port sustainability. Application to the Spanish port system

Abstract

Every day the world is moving forward, thanks to numerous researches, the development of technologies, the emergence of digital platforms and many growth initiatives. Today everything is focused on protecting the environment and the available resources, making an efficient and intelligent use of them so that not only the current society can enjoy it, but also future generations, as the concept of sustainable development dictates.  Moved to the ports, spaces destined to the flow of goods, people and information and shelter of the ships, all the activities carried out there have to watch over and protect their commitment to sustainability. For this reason, a detailed analysis of the sustainability of the Spanish port system is proposed here, using a graphic tool that is a pioneer in the field of ports, the Business Observation Tool. This tool is dedicated to initiating and recognizing the minimum elements to be considered when formulating an idea about port sustainability, allowing the reality of the conditions of the port environment to be known and establishing the possible scenarios to evolve beyond the observed reality.