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Since the volume of trade between second- and third-line cities and ports in China and Taiwan is growing steadily, ensuring the availability of shuttle shipping service within the current hub-and-spoke system has become the shared goal of government, carriers, and cargo owners. In the form of an increasingly competitive cross-strait shipping market, what key factors should carriers consider when developing a new shuttle shipping route? Hence, the main purpose of this paper was to apply the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) approach to evaluate key factors influencing new cross-strait shuttle shipping routes. Based on the literature and experts' opinions, a hierarchical structure with 4 assessment aspects and 15 assessment factors was first constructed, and a FAHP algorithm model was then proposed. Finally, based on the AHP experts' questionnaires, we used the FAHP approach to evaluate the key factors. The results showed that (1) competitive port features is the most important aspect influencing new cross-strait shuttle shipping routes for ocean carriers and (2) in order of relative importance, the top five key factors influencing new cross-strait shuttle shipping routes for ocean carriers are wharf service facilities, convenient customs clearance and administrative procedures, superior natural geographical location, computer software and hardware facilities, and adequate hinterland and cargo sources, respectively. Furthermore, some discussions and recommendations are provided in this article [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Themain purpose of this paper was to apply the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) approach to explore key factors influencing the sustainable development of a green energy industry in Taiwan. Based on the literature and experts' opinions, a hierarchical structure with five assessment aspects and fifteen development factors was first constructed, and a FAHP algorithm model was then proposed. Finally, based on the AHP experts' questionnaires, we used the FAHP approach to evaluate the key factors. The results showed the following. (1) "Technology" is the most important aspect influencing sustainable development of green energy industry in Taiwan. (2) In order of relative importance, the top six key factors influencing sustainable development of green energy industry in Taiwan are "establishment of key technological capabilities," "degree of integration of relevant laws and regulations," "establishment of an industry chain," "key raw materials and production equipment," "protection of intellectual property," and "preferential purchase price rates and various subsidies," respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has always been a daunting task for any government to allocate the budgets for public infrastructure effectively so as to maximize the benefits of the limited resources. The most important contribution this paper makes is to conduct an empirical study of the budget allocations of the six region-based road system construction plans in northern Taiwan using the transportation budget allocation model devised in this paper. After reviewing the results, the experts consulted while preparing this paper believe that these results are both objective and able to meet the actual requirements. The competent authority also believes that they are better than those obtained using their original approach. In particular, the construction of this model takes into consideration the highest-level supervisors. To a certain degree, it caters for the practices in budget allocation so that the managers are able to assume the authority corresponding to their responsibility concerning management efficiency and final outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the fact that manufacturing industries are moving further and further away, the separation of port and city plans, and consequently the competitiveness of Kaohsiung, compared to Hong Kong and Shanghai, is declining. The global logistics concept and organizational issues are the focus of a new proposal for urban development strategies for Kaohsiung. This research is aimed at the urban development and applies the global logistics system in the strategic formation of a future development plan for Kaohsiung. The evaluation result shows that six superior strategies were selected via a two-stage multiple objective evaluation method. The superior strategies include promoting integration of the urban renewal with the wharf redevelopment, speeding up the improvement of urban transportation, integrating the current maritime information network, and enhancing the twin-port functions. The evaluation method is workable when applied in the strategy evaluation for a large number of strategy cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]