With the ascent of ports in Southern and Eastern Europe, it is more important than ever that the port community in Rotterdam works together. ‘All the individual associations must act more in concert. Make each other strong', says Menno Huijs, programme manager at the Municipality of Rotterdam and driving force behind the regional network that aims to make Rotterdam the Maritime Capital of Europe.
Huijs has been involved with the mainports of the Netherlands for more than twenty years. ‘At Delft University of Technology I did research on Schiphol Airport. As an aviation expert, in my spare time, I still like to get involved occasionally in the debate about the future of aviation in the Netherlands', Huijs laughs. In 2010, the programme manager was invited to work for the Municipality of Rotterdam. ‘I went from the airport to the port. From my first day I have been involved in the development of the maritime branch within the municipality. Little had been done in this regard since the privatisation of the Port of Rotterdam Authority in 2004. As an outsider I found that strange, because a lot of the harbour impacts on the city and vice versa. Over the years, a kind of invisible wall seems to have been erected between the port region and the city, whereby the city thought that the Port Authority could only vouch for a growing port economy. We now understand that we need to break through this wall if, in 20 years, we want to be more than just a port that transports containers to the hinterland.’
Maasvlakte
Huijs is breaking through this wall, in particular, with the Rotterdam Maritime Capital of Europe network. ‘Rotterdam Maritime Capital of Europe encompasses the area from the Maasvlakte to Gorinchem. It is a maritime hotspot where everything to do with shipping can be obtained', says Huijs. This unique proposition is trying to put the overarching Rotterdam Maritime Capital of Europe on the stage at home and abroad. Huijs: ‘We are building a new narrative together. As Rotterdam, we have always sold our port as the mainport. That was an excellent strategy in the 1980s. However, there are now new economic opportunities which can also contribute to the major social challenges of today. In this respect, it is important that we, as a maritime hotspot, realise that we are much more than just a mainport. And that is what we are going to show you. As a port, we must not just want to be the largest in Europe. As a proud port city, we owe it to ourselves to raise the bar. The port may expect somewhat more of itself.’ In addition to more than 5,000 businesses, there are 338 organisations in the region, from authorities to branch organisations and from knowledge institutions to intermediaries, which are working to strengthen the maritime cluster. ‘The aim is to establish effective cooperation within this entire network and to make optimum use of each other's capacities. By doing so, we can continue to make a living with the port for the next 30 years.’
Two objectives
The Rotterdam Maritime Capital of Europe network has two objectives, the programme manager explains. The first is to put the Rotterdam port region on the international map. ‘We present ourselves abroad as the most complete and competitive maritime cluster in Europe. We are not only that excellent port, but also a hotspot for maritime insurance and finance, with a good business climate, excellent innovation opportunities and with a highly innovative maritime industry for ship building and offshore. This full breadth, that is what we want to present to the market.’
The second objective is directed at the surrounding region. ‘We want to tie the parties here more closely together. It is still so fragmented. We want to align the agendas and make the port future-proof. We are there for the city, the region and the port; we need to tie the three more closely together. With the businesses, but also with the authorities and intermediaries.’ The city, the region and the port all have their own pillars. If we look at the port, we are talking about transport, logistics, chemistry and energy. For the city, it is about professional services and commodity trading. And lastly, the region revolves around the building of ships and luxury yachts and around the offshore sector. Huijs emphasises the importance of making it clear to the region itself what the strengths of the port of Rotterdam are. ‘Over the years, the port has disappeared from sight and been eradicated from our thoughts. Many inhabitants of Rotterdam and the region have no idea that, each day, thousands of men and women are involved with the port and what goes on there. It is like a child in the supermarket. He only sees the bottom shelf and does not know what more lies above.’
In what do we lead the way?
The rapid growth of ports in Eastern and Southern Europe means that the port of Rotterdam needs to stand out even more and must look to its own strengths. ‘In what can we lead the way? That is what it is all about.’ There are a number of areas in which the Rotterdam port region stands out, says the programme manager. ‘We are very competitive with regard to professional services, we have many strong knowledge institutions and a huge manufacturing sector. Shipbuilding in this area is also rather unique. We sometimes forget that. It is important to realise that we are much more than just that large transshipment port. At a business level, and also when it comes to innovations, we are very strong.’ Rotterdam Maritime Capital of Europe has mapped out all these opportunities.
To make the most of these opportunities, it is essential that businesses in the Rotterdam port area cooperate successfully, says Huijs. ‘We must operate as one large region. If we do not help each other, we will soon be just a port for container transshipment. There are many associations in the port which represent the interests of particular groups. These different associations should be cooperating a lot more with each other. Let each other be good. Make each other strong. It is only in this way that we can really compete with other emerging ports.’
City
One of the points that Rotterdam Maritime Capital of Europe wants to emphasise is the good geographical location of the port. ‘City and port are really connected with each other. That is rather unique. We should take advantage of this. More and more matters in the port are arranged from within the city. The added value lies precisely in this urban economy. We need that connection to get the rest going’, the programme manager says. It is also the old story about the port's image. The port is no longer only about physical labour. IT specialists, lawyers, insurers, investigators and technicians who understand the latest techniques - these are the dock workers of the future. And they are increasingly to be found in offices in the city and in the region. We have been saying for some time that the 3rd Maasvlakte is located in the Weena. We need to make this known.’
Rotterdam Maritime Capital of Europe is occupied with the important issues facing the port world. ‘We must translate concepts such as energy transition, digitisation and circularisation into the port economy. These are things that we really need to take seriously.’ Here too, it is essential that we do this together, says Huijs. ‘If the climate targets are to be achieved then regional, national and international cooperation will be required on the basis of a common strategy. We need to anticipate the future. Too little is being done collectively at the moment. For instance, six parties may choose for hydrogen, eight others see more in switching to LNG and thirty businesses continue to use fuel oil, but with a scrubber on the ship. With such an approach, you will never achieve a common sustainable target. As the common authorities, we need to be reliable for our investors. Otherwise there will be no investments and we will lose the battle with other innovative port regions. For this reason alone, it is important that all these different public and private parties come to a common strategy.’
Business climate
Partners in the network are very active in trying to attract innovative technology companies to Rotterdam. For this to be successful, the facilities need to be good, says Huijs. But it is not just about attracting and helping innovative companies. It is also important to attract and retain the head offices of large maritime companies, of traders and shipowners and of leading logistics companies. Here too, there is room for improvement in the business climate. ‘There is a big shortage of large houses in Rotterdam and the surrounding area that can be rented on a temporary basis. CEOs of international companies are on the lookout for such accommodation. Furthermore, the availability of international education needs to be expanded.’
Huijs is very clear about what Rotterdam Maritime Capital of Europe stands for. ‘Globally, we form a unique network with a great deal of knowledge and expertise in all aspects of shipping and ports. We are the showcase for the Rotterdam port region. We want the region as well as the rest of the Netherlands to have a broader picture of the port economy. We can all make a small contribution to this. International recognition begins with national recognition. We are the Silicon Valley of the maritime world. We just need to express that a great deal more.’
