Economic importance of the Flemish maritime ports: Report 2002

ANNEX 1: NOTE ON METHODOLOGY1 ClustersNumerous studies 63 on the economic impact of port activities are structured around the notion of « MaritimeCluster », which denotes all the industries (companies and supplier chains) associated with the ports. It isgenerally accepted that the port is situated at the intersection of these different activities. This approach gives riseto the study of those industries that define or interact with the port.For the sake of consistency with previous port studies and the Bank’s other publications, and in order to coverport activity as a whole, it was also decided to study other segments. Two clusters are thus considered within thisstudy on Belgian port activity:TABLE 44CLUSTERS AND SEGMENTS• The maritime cluster, which includes branches of the ports themselves, and whose existence is essential tothem (management and maintenance, shipping, transhipment, affreightment, piloting, locks, storage, dredging,fishing, maritime services, etc.);• Four segments that do not have an immediate economic link with port activity but which exhibit a closeinterdependence with it by virtue of their geographical proximity. These are known as « non-maritime » andinclude:o the industry segment, comprising the oil, chemicals, metal-working, car manufacturing and electricityindustries, etc.;o the wholesale trade segment, which includes the chain of wholesale commission agents who havelinks with the ports (suppliers, trades associated with the above industries, import-export, etc.);o the transport segment, which comprises the different modes transporting goods overland (road, rail,pipeline, etc.);o the logistics services segment, which groups together companies providing port support services thatare not specifically maritime (computer services, coordination centres, management offices,consultancy, public services, maintenance services, etc.).Source: NBB.The companies in the maritime cluster define port activity and have an immediate economic link with the ports. Incontrast, the activities of « non-maritime » companies may only have a mediate economic link with them, whichrequires a geographical presence in the port.2 Branches and choice of level of aggregationSome of the branches selected 64 for this study are described according to their NACE-Bel classification, in linewith the ESA 95 approach (see « European System of Accounts ESA 95 », Eurostat). When a distinction betweenbranches is called for, it is possible to go as far as precision level 5. The definition of SUT 65 codes is of particularimportance when calculating the indirect effects.The shaded areas in table 45 show the industries which, although basically classified in one of the four segmentsof the non-maritime cluster, are, according to this analysis grid, partially in the maritime cluster.636465Including Dutch publications of the Nederlands Economisch Instituut and the Nationale Havenraad, and studies by theFaculty of Applied Economics at Antwerp University.The complete list of NACE-Bel branches in the study can be found in annex 3.Supply & Use Table. This designation also enables the branches included in these tables, and which correspond toprecision level 2 NACE-Bel codes, to be described in summary form. See also point 5.2 of this appendix 1 and « Input-Output Tables of Belgium in 1995 », NAI, February 2003.NBB WORKING PAPER No. 56 - JUNE 2004 73