Critical Success Factors in Developing Regional Multimodal Transportation Hubs Through Public-Private Partnerships

Regional multimodal transportation hubs are strategic infrastructures for enhancing intermodal connectivity, regional competitiveness, and supply-chain resilience. Their development through Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs), however, requires coordination across institutional, infrastructural, financial, technological, and stakeholder domains. This study examines stakeholder perceptions of the critical success factors (CSFs) influencing the planning and development of a potential regional multimodal logistics hub through a PPP-type governance arrangement in Central Macedonia, Greece. An exploratory qualitative design was employed, based on questionnaire responses from 23 stakeholders and professionals across public authorities, business organizations, logistics and transport companies, construction and engineering firms, consultancies, and transport-infrastructure organizations. Responses were analyzed using theoretically informed reflexive thematic analysis. Six interrelated themes emerged: location and accessibility; infrastructure and technology; institutional and legal framework; financial sustainability and investment environment; stakeholder legitimacy and regional development; and adaptive sustainability. Findings highlight Central Macedonia’s strategic geographic advantages, particularly Thessaloniki’s gateway position, while distinguishing geographic potential from operational readiness. Successful development depends on reliable multimodal infrastructure, digital interoperability, institutional coordination, regulatory stability, credible demand and financing, effective public–private cooperation, stakeholder legitimacy, and adaptive capacity. In the Central Macedonia case, perceived implementation readiness emerges from the interaction of these conditions rather than from any single factor in isolation.