(With extra pictures) SWZ Maritime editor Hugo Dill has visited a meet-up to discuss the Dutch VPRO TV broadcast of "The Smartest Port in the World".
Watch “The Smartest Port in the World” here.
The Meet-Up 010 to discuss this TV programme took place 29 April at “De Nieuwe Banier” in Rotterdam. He wrote the following report of this meeting.
Jeremy Rifkin: ‘Rotterdam is the future world port capital of the Internet-of-Things.”
In 2030, the port of Rotterdam is a transit port that can think for itself. What happens if the most physical of our worlds becomes fully automated?
The port is a world of ships, containers and hard workers. Of the larger and more advanced container ships, automated terminals and the use of virtual reality, of digital communication, chips and sensors. With this, our own “gateway to Europe” becomes a prime testing ground for the cooperation between people, data and things.
People Interviewed at the Meet-Up (amongst others):
- Dr.ir. Kees Pieters, lector Big-Data RDM Centre of Expertise. Development of “wet robots”, who can perform all kinds of maritime tasks on their own.
The RDM Knowledge Centre focuses on research on data insecurity and data fragmentation. The research’s core is the research of and the design of smart systems who can take the right decisions with limited information. An important reason for this focus, is that this situation is often the rule, rather than the exception. Therefore, this can be a valuable expansion of theoretical research. It is also expected these themes, due to the trend of “Big Data”, will attract ever more attention. A thorough knowledge of the boundaries of the transfer of information can contribute to the development of robust systems that are capable of handling uncertainty and contingency.
For over twenty years, data has been the spine of a well-functioning port and the related supply chains. Information is also crucial to maintenance and management, traffic management, safety and optimising processes in industry and logistics. With the development of Apps, Open Data, artificial intelligence and the 3D printer, data and knowledge gain new perspectives. New services can be developed and “old” processes and systems can be controlled in a completely new way.
- Dr. Menno Huijs, Municipality of Rotterdam, World Port City in 2030.
From: www.gebiedsontwikkeling.nu (in Dutch)The recent economic crisis has lead the question how to create more added value from the Dutch mainports to be current once again. For Rotterdam in particular, the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) argued this year that the regional economic spin-off of the port of Rotterdam is limited compared to other ports, such as Hamburg, Le Havre and Helsinki. We understand ever better how the global mainport economy can be connected to the regional knowledge and services economy.
Despite Rotterdam’s ambition to become a World Port City, the port and the city have grown ever more apart. In spatial terms (the port outside of the city), economically (the port in global trade flows), and at an organisational level (corporate internationalisation/acquisitions, instead of local). New trends in the city and port indicate, however, that the regional economy and the global port economy are connecting once again. Innovation and sustainability are indispensable to remain competitive in the historically strong, but traditional Rotterdam port sectors (transport, logistics, chemistry and energy).
Diversification of the economy through the further development of the knowledge and services economy and re-inventing the manufacturing economy are key. The power to make decisions to influence spatial and economic development is increasingly organised at a local and regional level. In the area of maritime services, such as maritime insurance, maritime law, maritime finance, taxes, ship brokers and surveyors, Rotterdam has countless opportunities to create strategic links between city and port. Cities such as Singapore and London are known as thé maritime service centres of the world, but Rotterdam ranks sixth in the world and third in Europe on the basis of the number of establishments (130 companies), has approximately 3000 highly qualified employees (at maritime insurers, financers and law firms) and is the tenth insurance market of the world (both maritime and general).
New developments in the field of port technology and financing (logistics software, new technology transfer, new maintenance technology), new cargo flows (LNG, biomass, CO2) and continuous developments in legislation require maritime expertise. By forging relationships between port companies and the Maritime Service Community, the port of Rotterdam can offer its clients and even more comprehensive and high quality product, which also allows the city to expand its position as leading Maritime Service Centre. With the government withdrawing, the region is offered the chance to reframe the transport and distribution volume oriented mainport policy, which can make Rotterdam a true World Port City in 2030.
Meet-Up Tegenlicht-010, with Dr Menno Huijs (World Port City) and Ir Kees Pieters (Lector Big Data).
City Ports
Together with market parties, the municipality of Rotterdam and the Port of Rotterdam Authority will create special, innovative residential and commercial areas in the city’s port area, in which the economic structure of city and port will be streghtened further. See stadshavensrotterdam.nl/ (in Dutch).
Theatre Walhalla, annexe Katendrecht-Rijnhaven.
One of the City Port projects. The Rijnhaven, “Rotterdam floating city”, resistant to the rise of the water level. The Wilhelminapier already houses large theatres, exposition halls and such.
One of the popular start-ups at Katendrecht/Rijnhaven.
Stucture vision city ports 2025.
SmartPort
Rotterdam is also working hard to transform the Mainport into a SmartPort.
Port Community System / Portbase
The Port Community System is an open platform that offers a multitude of intelligent services to exchanger information through Portbase safely and efficiently 24/7. Portbase was created by the Port Authorities of Rotterdam and Amsterdan and offers over forty different services for all links in the logisitics chain. Without aiming to make a profit. Annually, for companies participation results in an added value of up to 186 million euros, are the number of phone calls and e-mails reduced by 30 million and 100 million respectively, and the number of kilometres by truck reduced by 30 million. See www.portbase.com/services/.
In the coming years, Portbase, together with the logistics community, will make the Dutch ports the smartest in Europe. The goal is to make the Dutch ports’ logistics chains as attractive as possible through offering one single ticket window. See www.portbase.com/over-ons/ (in Dutch).
In the foreseeable future, Portbase also wants to become the national Port Community System. Portbase also aspires a key role in port logistics networks at home and abroad.
SmartPort 2.0
Business in the port of Rotterdam will intensively cooperate with the Erasmus university of Rotterdam and the Delft University of Technology in SmartPort 2.0. The goal of SmartPort 2.0 is to actively develop, join and invest in knowledge that allows the port area to exploit the opportunities international developments offer. Apart from the two universities, the Municipality of Rotterdam, the Rotterdam Port Authority and Deltalinqs are also founding partners in the project. See www.deltalinqs.nl.
