Global Competitiveness of the Northern Sea Route

Abstract

The chapter studies the global competitiveness of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and determines the prospects for its development as a transport artery both domestically and internationally. The research is centered around the content analysis of the existing literature, statistical reports, and SWOT analysis to measure the global competitiveness of the NSR, as well as to structure the factors of its internal and external environment. Thus, the areas under investigation include the assessment of the current state of NSR development; analysis of the volume and structure of cargo traffic; rethinking the prospects of the cargo base given the implementation of the related energy projects; and factors determining the global competitiveness of the NSR. The authors conclude that the prospects for the growth of transit cargo traffic in the NSR in the period up to 2024 are nearly zero. Besides, the development of the NSR is associated with the economic security of the Russian Federation. The NSR can provide primarily Russian coastal transportation, and its global competitiveness will depend on the degree of development of infrastructure facilities.