Adopting a Dynamic Business Modeling Perspective to pursue Sustainability in Seaport Performance Management: The Western Sicily Seaport Authority case study

Background: Ports play a crucial role in global trade, serving as essential hubs for the exchange of goods and services and significantly contributing to both national and local development by generating employment and fostering economic growth. However, beyond their economic relevance, port activities also pose significant environmental and social challenges, including noise pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste accumulation. In recent years, awareness of these impacts and the need to mitigate them has led to the emergence of the concept of Port Sustainability, based on three dimensions: economic, social, and environmental. This concept has become a focal point in both international and national policies, as well as in academic debates. Achieving sustainability in seaports requires more than adopting isolated green initiatives; it necessitates a structural transformation that integrates sustainability into the core of strategic decision–making. Seaport performance management requires holistic, dynamic, and strategic frameworks that incorporate the three dimensions of sustainability into the seaport business model. Purpose: Given this background, this study addresses the need to develop and adopt strategic frameworks that effectively integrate sustainability into seaport strategy design and performance management. Methodology: This study proposes the adoption of a dynamic perspective to manage, develop, and guide port activities toward long-term sustainability goals by implementing the Dynamic Business Model for Sustainability (DBMfS). This business model integrates economic, social, and environmental dimensions into the management framework of these complex organizations, fostering value creation and promoting more responsible and sustainable operational practices. The DBMfS supports economic and social development while respecting the environment and the well-being of local communities. To illustrate the application of this framework, the research adopts a case study approach, focusing on the Western Sicily Seaport Authority. Originality: This study aims to enrich the scientific debate on seaport performance management by providing both theoretical and practical contributions. From a theoretical perspective, it provides an integrated framework for embedding the three dimensions of sustainability into strategic performance management, addressing the need for strategic frameworks in the port sector. From a practical perspective, the DBMfS serves as a tool that seaport authorities can adopt to plan, implement, monitor, and manage their sustainable development path. By integrating environmental, social, and economic dimensions into seaport performance management, the DBMfS not only supports the achievement of sustainability goals but also enhances ports' long-term competitiveness in global trade. Furthermore, by adopting a dynamic and systemic perspective, which enables the identification of relationships between inputs, processes, outputs, and outcomes, it is possible to develop a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be measured and monitored to assess the effectiveness of implemented strategies and achieve long-term sustainability goals. Finally, by applying the DBMfS to the selected case study, this research provides a replicable framework that can be adopted by other seaport authorities, serving as a strategic model for sustainable seaport management.