International　ports　play　critical　roles　in　maintaining　transportation　flows　and　sustaining　the　effectiveness　of　global　maritime　logistics.　Although　the　concept　of　versatile　ports　has　been　introduced　to　represent　the　specific　patterns　that　these　ports　play　at　the　regional　and　global　levels,　there　is　still　a　need　for　the　design　and　development　of　computational　approaches　that　support　these　notions.　This　paper　introduces　a　flexible　multi-layer　network　approach　for　an　international　maritime　network　whose　interest　is　that　it　offers　a　flexible　model　that　favours　the　identification　of　the　different　transportation　flows　and　versatile　ports.　The　model　is　complemented　by　a　series　of　structural　indices　complemented　by　a　new　overlap　measure　that　evaluates　the　specific　role　of　a　given　port　across　various　transportation　trades.　The　whole　approach　is　implemented　and　experimented　with　using　massive　AIS　maritime　data　that　supports　the　automatic　generation　of　the　multi-layer　network,　and　derivation　of　the　structural　measures　while　maintaining　a　flexible　view　of　the　maritime　network.　The　experiments　applied　to　the　global　maritime　transportation　network　identify　key　versatile　ports　and　highlight　significant　differences　at　the　regional　and　trade　flow　levels.　©　2023　The　Author(s).　Published　by　Informa　UK　Limited,　trading　as　Taylor　&　Francis　Group.