Abstract

Global competitiveness is carried out taking into account not only competition, quality and prices, but also the ability to adjust systems and processes to a larger size of product and consumer markets. These processes aren't rightly underpinned yet, in our country, by logistics and services connected with it, necessary before for an acceleration and after for a steady growth of trade flows. This constraint can seriously nullify the chances that global competitiveness and trade development can offer to our country, and, in particular, to Southern Italy; with respect to this area, the role of potential continental "logistic platform", so many times mentioned in the past, can really be realized, thanks to its strategic position in the Mediterranean, that is no more just a "bridge" among Europe, North Africa and Middle East, but also a "junction" of trade flows from/to the vast area, showing an enormously-expanding economy, which goes from the Indian Sub-Continent to the Far East. This big chance of development, particularly for Southern Italy, will be more concrete if our country, as a whole, will be able to offer both infrastructures and logistic services, and opportunities of location connected with them, for the handling of goods and semi-finished products before their transfer in Centre Europe consumer markets.