Container World: Global agent-based modelling of the container transport business

The global container transport industry comprises an extremely large and complex arrangement of business relationships and distribution networks. Since almost all international trade (other than bulk goods) is now effected by means of container shipping, governments and commercial parties alike need a way of analysing this sector in order to form strategic decisions in a changing world. Container World is a large-scale simulation project to develop a model of the container business in the UK within an international shipping context. An agent-based methodology is essential to model both business and operational aspects of the industry. This paper outlines the design of the three models of Container World and reports on progress made, with preliminary results from the first of the three models.