Study On The Competitive Strategic Choice Of Port Based On Niche Theory

With the formation of three national strategies,The Belt and Road,Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei collaborative development and the Yangtze River Economic Zone,Port as a national strategic resource,not only continues to assume the important role in global resource allocation,development of international trade and opening to the outside world,but puts forward new requirements for the development of China’s port in the new period.At present,the basic pattern of ports in China has developed into five major coastal port groups,which are represented by Yangtze River Delta,Pearl River Delta,Circum-Bohai sea region,as well as two major regional groups in the middle and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.In each port groups,there are different-degrees of congestion in the port layout,intersection of port hinterland and intensity of resources utilization,the inter port competition hots up,which highlights an urgent need to explore a new model of modern ports development.Then speed up the adjustment of port structure,optimize the allocation of port resources and promote regional port changing toward intensive,integrated and coordinated development,gradually become significant ways to promote accomplish port’s transformation and upgrading as well as ensure healthy and steady development under the new normal.Under this background,the niche theory can biomimetic study the competition situation of the whole port group,make the scientific competition strategy,and guarantee the healthy and stable development of the port.This dissertation first reviews the relevant concepts of niche in the field of ecology and social sciences,defines the concept and connotation of port niche,and then focuses on the demonstration of relevant theories,which points out the characteristics of the competition strategy from the perspective of niche theory.Secondly,the concept of the ecological niche factor is introduced to the port.Combined with the existing research in the relationship between port niche and ecological factors,the concept of ecological port niche factor is proposed with its fundamental elements analyzed from three key ecological niche factors,including resources,environment,and capability.Use the structural equation model to study the influence of ecological port factors on the formation and development of ecological port,and on this basis construct the port niche measurement index system.Thirdly,in order to realize the quantitative research on port niche,a mathematical model is presented,with summarizing the existing quantification method of niche employed in ecology and social sciences,to bring about a measurement method for port niche size and degree of niche overlap.And based on the corresponding theory of niche,the competition strategy has been put forward,including the separation of dislocation,the expansion of resources,the innovation of value and collaborative development,thus building competition strategy selection matrix of port under niche theory.Finally,taking port group in the middle reaches of Yangtze River as an example,port niche measurement index system and measurement model are adopted.According to the empirical analysis,the corresponding competitive strategy orientation of the main ports in the middle reaches of Yangtze River is given.The niche theory is introduced to study the port area,which not only extends application fields of the niche theory,but also provides a new idea for the study of port competition strategy.At the same time,its application contributes lot to analyzing formation and development of port niche,and measuring port’s status and function in regional environment,which is of great significance to promote the sustainable development of port.