Along the New Silk Road in Europe: A study on logistics and its implications on local economies

The aim of the thesis is to study how the global value chains articulated between China and Europe are influenced by the New Silk Road project that China is implementing throughout the Eurasian region. Starting from a theoretical framework on global value chains and the impact they have on trade relations between China and Europe, the work aims to analyze how, through the study of the cases of London, Duisburg and Athens, the Chinese project is influencing the social and economic development of these commercial hubs. In addition, collaboration projects between Chinese technology companies and local authorities were studied. These projects, such as the collaboration between Huawei and the City of Duisburg, are being developed in the context of the Digital Silk Road, the technological branch of the Chinese project. Finally, the work deals with China’s engagement in the Mediterranean region, focusing on bilateral relations between China and Italy and analyzing future perspectives for integration and cooperation between these players in the logistics and infrastructural field.