The Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands is one of the largest ports in the world and by far the largest in Europe.
Transport and logistics companies from all over the world choose to locate in Rotterdam because of the huge size of the
port, the massive amount of goods going in and out of the port, the surrounding infrastructure and its localisation in the
heart of western Europe. From Rotterdam, companies have easy access to no less than 450 million consumers in
Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Scandinavia and the UK.
Moreover, the Netherlands offers flexible labour market legislation, beneficial tax regulations for highly skilled workers
and companies, and straightforward visa requirements which make it possible to import labour from abroad. Being
located in the Port of Rotterdam makes it easier to engage in networks with other companies, consumers, suppliers and
supporting sectors such as the oil and energy industries.
For the production – that is, shipbuilding – and the administrative centres of the companies, a counteracting trend is also
apparent as information and communication technologies (ICT) diminish the importance of localisation. ICT makes it
possible for a multinational shipping company to locate its headquarters in almost any city. So far, the Port of Rotterdam
is not experiencing very strong competition from other west European ports. World trade is forecast to grow significantly
over the next 10 years and the most pressing problem for the cluster of Rotterdam is how to accommodate the future
growth in trade volumes.
Amsterdam sets new records :
Port of Amsterdam is another European gateway that has come into focus. In 2006, the Amsterdam port area--which consists of the Ports of Amsterdam, IJmuiden/Velsen, Beverwijk, and Zaanstad--handled 85 million metric tons of cargo--up 14 percent from 2005.
The Port of Amsterdam accounts for the lion's share of the growth--transshipment in Amsterdam rose to 64 million metric tons last year, a 20 percent increase. A major contribution to the container growth came from the Ceres Paragon Container Terminal, which set a new record in transshipment with a total of 3.5 million metric tons (a 380 percent increase) in 2006. The fast growing NYK-owned terminal is operating with a "ship-in-a-slip" system that allows handling activities from both sides of the vessel. Sources say that Amsterdam's high productivity may help relieve the congestion in Rotterdam.
RFID investment ;
Amsterdam and Rotterdam are heavily investing in technology to improve security and accelerate the transport and logistics flow. In Amsterdam, objectives include a general lowering of costs, faster and more efficient government control operations, and improved security.
Possibilities for cooperation between the airport communication platform (Cargonaut) and a similar platform in the port (PortNET) are being investigated to improve communication between companies at Schiphol airport and in the seaport and the government. Due to these improvements, more efficient handling of administrative and customs work is expected to result, as well as the possibility of creating a customs-free zone in the port of Amsterdam.
Connections to the hinterland :
The Netherlands is linked to all major European markets through a dense network of roads (78,029 miles), railways (1,745 miles), and inland waterways (3,135 miles) that keeps delivery times for cargo under 36 hours throughout Europe.
Most rail services operate from the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam. One of the major rail projects is the Betuwe Route, a 100-mile long, $6.03 billion, double-track, double-stack freight line between Rotterdam and Germany which is part of the Trans European Freight Rail Network. The original start was planned for this March, but due to security improvements, it has had to be postponed, likely until June. Up to 500 trains a day are expected to use this route.
Due to increased cargo traffic to and from the Czech Republic, the Czech CSKD-Intrans has launched a twice-weekly rail shuttle service directly connecting all quays in Rotterdam with its terminal in Prague; while the shipping company NYK started another train shuttle service between the Ceres Paragon Container Terminal in Amsterdam and Prague.
The city of Amsterdam tested an innovative cargo tram project this March operating right through the inner city by running on the existing tram system of the Municipal Transportation Company (GVB). Cargo tram operation will be restricted to lines with sufficient free capacity to avoid conflicts with passenger trams. The city council will decide this month whether to continue cargo transportation method.
Staying competitive :
However, the Netherlands realizes that it needs to make further investments in infrastructure to stay competitive. In its Mobility Publicity Document, the Dutch Ministry of Transport and Water Management announced an investment program between 2010 and 2020 to keep passenger and freight transport moving by increasing reliability on roads, rail, and water.