The Smartest Port in the World

Throughout the twentieth century Rotterdam was the world’s busiest port. While that title moved to China in 2004, today there is another goal – to become the smartest seaport in the world.
This project entails digitalization, sustainable transport and a decisive step forward in the energy transition (concerning hydrogen), not to mention a fully-fledged CO2 abatement program in view of the fact that the port currently generates 14 million tonnes of it each year. This vast footprint is also a reflection of the port’s remarkable growth over the centuries, its success being partly due to its geographical position: Rotterdam’s canals provide a gateway to an internal European market of 350 million people. The port of the future, however, can be summarized primarily in one word: innovation.
In recent years the site has become a vast campus where brilliant minds work developing visionary ideas: from floating wind turbines to new corrosion-resistant alloys, aquatic vacuum cleaners to the latest generation drones, which are set to be introduced in 2024.