United we Stand

Rotterdam. World Port World City. This is the slogan for the city and the port. Something we like to bandy about on the world stage, and as often as possible. After all, we think we are an inspiring city and our port is the largest and the best. But is that how others see it, too? Is Rotterdam a world port and a world city to outsiders? Naturally, we are proud of our port and industrial complex. It is a well-oiled machine, which is in the forefront when it comes to innovation, and even when we get short of space we ‘just’ build a second Maasvlakte.

The port of Rotterdam also stretches for fifty kilometres, something few ports can say. Despite this fact, strangely enough, we are not so well-known everywhere. A nice example of this cropped up when organising a high-level dinner in Houston. The location, a prominent hotel, told us that they could provide flowers in the colours of our national flag, i.e. red and white. This confused us as RPPC. What transpired? They were talking about the Danish flag. After a further three e-mails, including a picture of our tricolour, we decided against any special decorations. It was simply impossible to explain that we really meant the Netherlands.

Such scenes put us back in our place. We are very well aware that people have to look at the map very closely before they find our tiny, damp country. It is not for nothing, therefore, that the four Dutch seaports are increasingly joining forces when it comes to intercontinental exhibitions. This year, we have even gone a step further and Rotterdam, together with the ports of Amsterdam, Zeeland and Groningen, will be present at no less than three exhibitions, in Mumbai, São Paulo and

Moscow. Naturally, we, Ports of the Netherlands, compete and we take our own business communities with us to these places to attract as much cargo as we can for our own port. But we also actually complement each other pretty well.

Together, we show people what we are capable of. All of the ports have their own unique, strategic location and port access. In the Netherlands, all modes of transport are well developed. It does not matter how cargo has to be transported further – by inland shipping, by rail or by road – we arrange it. Nor are the different types of goods a problem. It is always possible to find a company in one of the ports that can handle even the most complex cargo. Pure specialisation.

In short; we are stronger as four ports. In addition to this, we can be proud of what we achieve as a small speck on the world map. It is not without reason that Rotterdam is Europe’s number one port and number four in the world. And that is not even counting the other three Dutch seaports!

Marjolein Warburg

Director
Rotterdam Port Promotion Council

Photo by Michel de Groot