Enhancing port performance and competitiveness through innovation, resilience, and strategic integration: A case study of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port

Abstract

This study examines Ningbo Zhoushan Port as a case to explore how emerging ports enhance global competitiveness through the synergistic effects of multidimensional factors such as innovation input (RD), organisational resilience (RES), and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The research, based on grounded theory using qualitative and quantitative analyses, systematically reveals the internal mechanisms of port development. The findings indicate that innovation input significantly enhances port operational efficiency and economic performance, with organisational resilience as a mediating variable to strengthen this effect further. Moreover, CSR demonstrates a dual effect in moderating the relationship between innovation input and economic performance: it amplifies the positive impact of innovation under conditions of efficient resource allocation, whereas it may diminish innovation efficiency in scenarios of resource dispersion. The study further identifies that national policy integration and the coordinated development of port-adjacent industries significantly enhance the port's adaptability to market fluctuations and long-term competitiveness. By identifying the multiple driving factors and their interactive mechanisms in port development, this study enriches the theoretical framework of port management and economic growth while offering systematic strategic guidance for other ports worldwide. The paper further discusses the critical role of integrated strategies involving innovation input, organisational resilience, and CSR in achieving long-term sustainable development for ports while highlighting the study's limitations and future research directions.