Subject. Competitiveness of seaport operators in the context of the digital transformation of the transport industry. Objectives. Development of a methodology for integrated quantitative assessment of the competitiveness of port operators based on publicly verified data. The methodology is designed to combine indicators of production efficiency, the level of digital development and the quality of service provided by port services. Methods. The research is based on a systematic approach using a set of general scientific and special methods: analysis and synthesis, modeling and classification, group indexes, methods of weighing and rationing data. Results. A three-level system of indicators has been formed, including the production and financial block, the digital equipment block and the quality block of port services. An algorithm for adapting the methodology to incomplete data is proposed through the calculation of group indexes and the use of binary indicators for the introduction of digital technologies. The weighting factors are justified by the priorities of the development of the transport infrastructure of the Russian Federation and international benchmarks. A scale of interpretation of the final integral index has been developed. Conclusions. The methodology is universal and can be used by port operators for self–diagnosis of competitiveness, by government regulators for monitoring the dynamics of the port industry, and by the scientific and business community for a comprehensive analysis of the port services market. The key advantage of the developed methodology is its objectivity: it eliminates dependence on closed commercial information and subjective expert assessments.
Keywords: competitiveness, sea port operators, digital transformation, integrated assessment, maritime transport infrastructure
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