Mediterranean ports rise as Europe’s logistics hub shifts from the North Sea

The 13th Italian Maritime Economy Report released by SRM, the research centre of Intesa Sanpaolo, highlights a rapid re‑orientation of European freight flows toward the Mediterranean. Geopolitical tensions – the war in Ukraine, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, and strains in the Hormuz Strait – have accelerated a longer‑term trend of near‑shoring and increased economic weight of Africa and the Mediterranean basin.

In 2024 the 25 leading Mediterranean ports handled 62 million TEU, a 5.1 % rise, while short‑sea shipping reached a European record 628 million tonnes. Italian ports alone moved 481 million tonnes of cargo, accounting for 15.6 % of EU port traffic and seeing container volumes grow 6.5 % to 11.7 million TEU. The report cites €12.5 billion of planned investments to improve rail links, last‑mile connectivity and digitalisation of Italian terminals.

SRM stresses that the Mediterranean’s growing centrality is not solely a product of conflict but also of strategic supply‑chain redesign, the expansion of the Suez Canal, and the push for intermodal efficiency. As one speaker noted, “Mai come oggi il mare rappresenta una chiave di lettura privilegiata per comprendere l’evoluzione dell’economia mondiale.”