Economic impact of a port on the hinterland: application to Santander's port

This article studies the necessary techniques to determine the economic impact of a port infrastructure, not only on the region where it is located but also on its area of influence. In particular, the present study reflects the analysis carried out in order to obtain the economic impact of Santander’s Port on the economy of Cantabria and its hinterland in the year 2005. It is important to stress that for the first time the impact of a structure on the region where it is located and on the rest of its area of influence is calculated. The economic literature shows many examples of economic impact of a certain infrastructure but only on the region where it is located; therefore, the contribution of this article enriches the previous studies carried out since it quantifies the importance of ports regarding the companies of the area of influence for the generation of value and employment.