The impact of the 2008 financial crisis on the Portuguese maritime cluster

摘要

The paper evaluates the impact of the financial crisis on the Portuguese maritime cluster through the comparative analysis of economic data for 2008 and 2013. The commercial relations between the major maritime sectors are also estimated in both years. The methodology used was that of the Input-Output analysis (Leontief model), with data from the national "I-O Matrix of Domestic Production" (431p*123p). This allowed estimating the values for sectoral Keynesian multipliers I and II, as well as the Hirschman-Rasmussen (HR) and the scattering indexes for both years. The maritime industries' fields of influence for future investments were also estimated. Results show that maritime activities were severely affected by the crisis, resulting in a profound change in the internal structure of the Portuguese maritime economy with the more traditional activities (preparation and storage of fish, in particular) presenting a greater resilience.