Maritime Technology - Rotterdam Maritime Capital of Europe

Credit: Marc Nolte

The future of Maritime Technology

Rotterdam shapes the maritime future.

For us here in the Rotterdam region, maritime technology encompasses the whole spectrum of knowledge and skills that we have to offer the international maritime industry. It is part of who we are - it is in our DNA.

Our maritime technologies are based on centuries of expertise and a passion for progress. We are good at what we do because we love what we do. However, we are not only defined by our past. We have clear ambitions about our future too: to develop ideas and services that are sustainable, dynamic and collaborative.

Today’s activities

A bird’s eye view of Rotterdam encompasses not only an image of diverse maritime activities, but also the associated technologies that enable the constant progress of the maritime industry. As an offshore port, we are home to the whole supply chain from contractors and suppliers, to engineers and designers. We are also a centre of ship and superyacht building and repair, drawing on hundreds of years of naval architectural knowledge. These production-based industries are supported by a vast range of supplier companies and auxiliary service providers, all based in the Rotterdam region. All these companies have one thing in common: they develop and embrace new technologies to take their sectors to the next level of efficiency and sustainability.

There are so many examples of Rotterdam’s maritime technology in action (and we are proud of them all), but here are a few cases in the spotlight. RAMLAB’s additive manufacturing techniques are changing the way the maritime industry thinks about component production. Ampelmann’s motion compensated gangways provide safe and secure Walk-To-Work solutions. Tetrahedron’s engineering innovations are pushing the limits of lifting in the offshore wind industry, thus accelerating the energy transition.

Learn more about the energy transition in the maritime capital of Europe

Planning for tomorrow

Rotterdam always has an eye on the future needs of the maritime industry and society as a whole. That’s why Rotterdam is home to numerous hi-tech future-proofing projects. In fact, we are ‘homeport’ to a growing number of electric vessels. The fully electric intercity waterbuses that Damen Shipyards is building for Aqualiner-Swets is a prime example of this, as are the electric water taxis operated by the Water Taxi Rotterdam. The inland shipping sector is also switching to electric, with companies like ZES leasing exchangeable batteries to inland container vessels.

The future is becoming increasingly digital; AI and algorithmic machine learning are going to play a bigger role in all our lives. Rotterdam is responding to that trend in multiple ways. For example, logistics providers and freight forwarders are creating processes that are faster and more productive. Rotterdam-based companies like KOTUG are breaking ground with autonomous operations and Onboard helps to develop the digital infrastructure which should speed up the digitalisation process.

Autonomous Shipping - Get Inspired

Projects like these are made possible by the fact that Rotterdam is a complete ecosystem that supports and promotes the development of new ideas. From the R&D department of an established company to a smart start-up – Rotterdam enables the potential for creating, researching, testing, and scaling up of future technologies.

Learn more about the regional innovation ecosystem

It’s the people that make it work

Modern technologies are only as effective as the people behind them. All of our technological innovations have been borne from the close cooperation between companies and knowledge institutes. Rotterdam is home to the full scope of educational resources. The Metro map demonstrates the broad range of research and education institutes in the region.

For example, the STC group is headquartered here, offering a comprehensive range of education courses in the field of maritime technology. Delft University of Technology attracts researchers from all over the world and proved its worth with commercially successful technological advances year after year. Finally, many Rotterdam-based companies run their own in-house R&D programmes, which are often in cooperation with educational institutes.

Download the research and education map