On October 6, the Topchubashov team visited Baku International Port in Alat where they had the privilege of meeting with the port authority. The Alat port is one of the nodal points in the Middle Corridor connecting China and the EU through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and the Black Sea. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the eventual destabilization of the Northern Corridor, the Middle Corridor emerged as a viable alternative for intercontinental rail connectivity, with a 70 percent increase in transit cargo. Currently, the Alat port has 15 million tons or 100,000 TEUs throughput capacity and after the second phase of development, it will reach 500,000 TEUs.

During the meeting with port authorities, our team was acquainted with new developments in the port and various aspects of port management and logistics. The sides had a fruitful discussion on topics such as infrastructure investments, environmentally sustainable initiatives (Alat is the first eco port in the Caspian Sea), digitalization efforts in partnership with the EU, and the economic impact of the port on Azerbaijan’s diversification policy. The port representatives shared data and provided real-world insights into the challenges and opportunities they faced in the ever-evolving world of intercontinental rail connectivity.

Our team also had a tour of the port’s facilities, where they had the chance to witness firsthand the impressive scale and complexity of port operations. Overall, it was a richly informative experience that provided a deeper understanding of the less-known aspects of maritime logistics. The trip offered valuable insights that will surely inform our future research and policy recommendations on this topic. We thank the port authority for their hospitality and for a very fruitful trip.