Fast Forward - Autumn 2016

AUTUMN 2016 ISSUE

50 Years of

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Container Handling People and Technology Hand in Hand

Contents

‘ECT continues to be an Icon of Automation’ Mr. Eric Ip, Group Managing Director of Hutchison Ports, and Mr. Clemence Cheng, Managing Director of Hutchison Ports Europe, tell about their relationship with ECT.

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Anything for the Customer Five insiders share their customer experiences with ECT over the years.

16 - 19 Colophon Fast Forward, a business-to-business publication of ECT, appears three times a year. Please contact our Communications Department with any questions or suggestions you may have regarding the contents.

Copy Rob Schoemaker, Rob Wilken (editor-in-chief) Translation Niall Martin, Dean Harte

‘Everything and Everyone connected’ ECT is emphatically preparing for future innovations.

26 - 27 4 News 6 ECTs Beating Heart

At age 50, ECT comprises two large, highly automated deepsea terminals at the Maasvlakte in Rotterdam.

Photography Eric Bakker (unless stated otherwise) Layout Ontwerpwerk, The Hague External coordination and printing RWP, Voorburg

10 50 Years of ECT – A Brief Overview

Chief editor ECT Rob Bagchus No rights can be derived from this publication.

P.O. Box 7385, 3000 HJ Rotterdam, The Netherlands T +31 (0) 181 278 278 info@ect.nl | www.ect.nl info@europeangatewayservices.com www.europeangatewayservices.com

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20 People and Technology Hand in Hand 50 years of container handling at ECT is also synonymous with 50 years of social innovation.

22 ECT changed the World of the Container In its 50-year existence, ECT has come up with major inventions which have completely changed container handling.

24 EGS further expands through Synchromodality EGS enables ECT to further distinguish itself from the competition.

Introduction

50 Years of Connecting the Future In 2016, ECT celebrates its 50th anniversary. Half a century ago, six companies joined forces to form a separate company – Europe Container Terminus – dedicated to the discharging and loading of what was a new phenomenon at the time: the container. With that, container handling became an established activity in Rotterdam.

ECT has built up container handling from the ground in Rotterdam. And from the very start, we have also been a pioneer worldwide. It all started in the Eemhaven port area near the city centre, where we experienced tremendous growth from 1967 onwards. In 1985, we made the transition to a then empty Maasvlakte. At the time, many in the logistics sector were sceptical: too far from civilisation was the general notion. ECT has proven the naysayers wrong. All our customers have successively opted to have their ships handled at our terminals on the North Sea. In the early nineties, we invented and introduced the automated terminal concept at the ECT Delta Terminal.

For years, we were the only terminal operator in the world to combine human labour and automation in such an innovative manner. It was not until the last decade that other parties started to follow suit. By that time, we had already achieved further advancements through the opening of the Euromax Terminal Rotterdam though.

‘OUR 50-YEAR ANNIVERSARY ­CONSTITUTES A MILESTONE THAT WE CAN RIGHTFULLY REFLECT ON WITH PRIDE’

Now, in 2016, we are leading the way by looking beyond the water side through European Gateway Services (EGS).

By organising the hinterland logistics via EGS, we offer customers an optimally accessible Europe through synchromodality and as sustainable as possible.

Reflecting on our history, 50 years is a momentous milestone.

At the same time, it is a marker for the future. We have deliberately chosen ‘Connecting the Future’ as the theme for our jubilee year. In an increasingly competitive environment, ECT aims to continue leading the way in the future as well.

The challenges are substantial. The current market conditions are extremely difficult for all parties in the container sector.

Developments are going faster and faster and new technologies are making the world smaller and smaller.

Transparency and cooperation are increasingly gaining in importance. Not only on the water side, but also in terms of handling cargo flows right throughout the supply chain.

By sharing knowledge, experience and resources with all parties involved, ECT wants to ensure that one plus one continues to equal three in the future. In that respect, we realise that our customers made ECT what it is today and that they play a key role in the future of our company as well.

On our journey, the 50-year anniversary constitutes a milestone that we can rightfully reflect on with pride.

With respect for achievements so far, but even more so with attention for our further development in view of the future. After all, ECT is only 50 years young!

Leo Ruijs Chief Executive Officer 3

SPECIAL PAINTING TO MARITIME MUSEUM To reaffirm the close relationship with the city of Rotterdam, ECT has added a special painting to the city’s Maritime Museum collection on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary on the 30th of August 2016. The work by painter John Wouda is titled ‘Over een andere boeg gooien’ and represents the start of container handling in Rotterdam half a century ago.

The painter and his family were also present at the ceremonial handover of the painting that has been gracing the boardrooms of ECT since 1989. In the late eighties, ECT requested Wouda to visually represent the company’s early years. The painter subsequently decided to depict the arrival of the very first ship – the Atlantic Span – at the then newly opened ECT terminal at the Eemhaven on the 30st of August 1967. The painting shows this new terminal, the first dedicated container terminal in the world, seen from the deck of the ship.

The Dutch saying ‘Over een andere boeg gooien’ means opting for a different, new approach and was originally a nautical term used to denote sailing ships changing direction in the wind. Wouda’s intention was to make clear that with the launch of ECT, cargo handling in Rotterdam would never be the same again. Leo Ruijs, Chief Executive Officer of ECT: “The celebration of ECT’s 50th anniversary is dedicated to the company’s past, present and future. This painting fits in perfectly with this. Together, ECT and Rotterdam were, are and will continue to be leading global players in the container handling sector.” Robert Anraad, Head of Collections of the Maritime Museum Rotterdam, was pleased with the painting. “It is a strong symbol for telling our visitors the story of the establishment of ECT and the rise of the container sector.”

Painter John Wouda, ECT CEO Leo Ruijs and business director of the Maritime Museum Rotterdam Tjeerd Vrij (from left to right) show ‘Over een andere boeg gooien’.

Leo Ruijs, Erik de Neef, Jan Frans van den Hoek and Rob Gutteling (from left to right).

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The Container and Nautical Service Provision Also present at the festive ceremony were prominent representatives of Rotterdam’s nautical service providers.

For them, the container has also changed the port.

Acting Deputy Harbour Master Rob Gutteling: “The port has expanded considerably, just look at ECT’s own shift from the Eemhaven in the city centre to the Maasvlakte on the North Sea. The Vessel Traffic System has grown along with this and has consistently been modernised. Nautically, Rotterdam also wants to remain number 1.” Chairman of the Regional Pilots’ Corporation Rotterdam-Rijnmond, Jan Frans van den Hoek: “The container has made our profession of nautical pilot even more interesting. The Ultra Large Container Ships of today present fresh challenges.

We treat them as extreme deepwater vessels with an imaginary large sail due to the massive number of containers on deck.” Chairman Eric de Neef of the Royal Boatmen’s Association Eendracht. “After a container ship broke free from its hawsers some ten years ago, we developed the ShoreTension to make safe mooring possible. Exploited in a joint venture with ECT, the ShoreTension is now a global success.”

News

1,000,000 KM Positioned behind one another, all the containers that ECT has ever handled since it opened its own terminal in 1967 form an incredible line of almost 1,000,000 kilometres. And we keep counting. After handling the 150 millionth TEU in September 2014, the 160-million TEU mark has now already been exceeded. ECT is quickly progressing towards the next milestone.

ECT embraces Hutchison Ports Rebrand Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) officially launched a global rebrand on 24 September 2016. The new company name and brand line – Hutchison Ports, the World’s Leading Port Network – underlines both the Group’s long-established commitment to operate as a true global network and its continued delivery of the highest standards of service to customers and partners. In addition to the name change, the rebrand includes a new logo to better reflect the company’s position in the rapidly changing world of ports and logistics. The logo represents the meeting point of sea and sky; with an upward angle to signify growth, innovation and ambition – the things that keep Hutchison Ports at the forefront. The new brand will make the company more recognisable as a group and enhances its reputation for leadership globally. As part of the rebranding operation, ECT will also say goodbye to its old, familiar logo and embrace the new Hutchison Ports look & feel.

SAFETY FIRST! The time that dockworkers were tough, unruly free spirits is a thing from the distant past at ECT. At its deepsea terminals, ECT has a strict safety policy.

This safety awareness has been firmly embedded throughout the organisation. All operational staff have a basic safety certificate which is reassessed every five years. Using personal protective equipment goes without saying (see photo) and prior to each shift all employees always verify first whether the working conditions are safe using a checklist. Discharging and loading will not commence until all safety requirements have been met. No concessions or compromises are ever made in that respect. For fifty years, safety has already been ECT’s top priority!

Visit the Anniversary Website

Through animations, videos and an extensive timeline, ECT is visually sharing its history to a wide audience at www.ect.nl/50jaar. In specific themes, the temporary anniversary website further brings to life ECT’s rich past. Board members and stakeholders from outside ECT furthermore discuss the past, the present and the future in blogs. www.ect.nl/50jaar regularly features new theme contributions and blogs. Take a look!

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ECT’s Beating

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ECT Delta Terminal The ECT Delta Terminal is located at the middle part of the Maasvlakte. As one of the pioneers on this land reclaimed from the sea, ECT opened a first conventional terminal here in 1985. Following on from that, the very first automated container terminal in the world was commissioned in 1993.

In the following years, the remainder of the ECT Delta Terminal was also gradually developed in full accordance with this automated concept. At the start of the 21st century, ECT said goodbye to the initial conventional facilities.

The current ECT Delta Terminal now covers 272 hectares with four kilometres of quay where the largest quay cranes in the world can easily handle container ships with a capacity of 20,000 TEU, 24/7.

Heart

At age 50, ECT comprises two large, highly automated deepsea terminals at the Maasvlakte in Rotterdam. Both are situated directly on the North Sea and feature stateof-the-art facilities, making them optimally suited for the 24/7 handling of the Ultra Large Container ships of today and tomorrow.

Euromax Terminal Rotterdam At the north-westerly corner of the Maasvlakte, ECT opened the sustainable Euromax Terminal Rotterdam in 2008.

This next-generation automated terminal currently spans 84 hectares and has a quay of 1.5 kilometres. From the North Sea, the Euromax is the very first terminal in the port of Rotterdam and therefore ideal for the 24/7 handling of Ultra Large Container Ships. As soon as the capacity is needed, the Euromax Terminal has the possibility to further expand its quay by two kilometres towards and at Maasvlakte 2.

Since May 2016, ECT has a strategic alliance at the Euromax Terminal with COSCO Ports, which has acquired a 35-percent stake. This allows ECT to further improve the service provision to shipping line COSCO and its alliance partners; at the same time, the COSCO Group is able to strengthen its position in the port of Rotterdam. All the same, ECT will remain an independent multi-user terminal operator which provides services to various shipping lines.

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‘ECT continues to be an Icon of Automation’ Since 2001, ECT has been part of Hutchison Ports, the world’s leading port network with a combined throughput of 83.8 million TEU in 2015. Mr. Eric Ip, Group Managing Director of Hutchison Ports, and Mr. Clemence Cheng, Managing Director of Hutchison Ports Europe, tell us about their relationship with ECT.

How did you first learn of ECT?

MR. IP: “I first heard about ECT when it was in the process of being acquired by Hutchison Ports. ECT at that time was the only automated terminal in the Hutchison Ports network.

The first time I went to Rotterdam in person, I was really impressed by the technology.”

MR. CHENG: “After I joined Hutchison Ports twenty years ago, the first acquisition I was involved in was ECT. I was Hutchison Ports’ European Division CFO and was helping with the due diligence for this transaction.”

How would you describe ECT?

MR. IP: “ECT continues to be an icon of automation. It is still the biggest terminal in Europe as well. After Hong Kong and Yantian, it is also Hutchison Ports’ biggest terminal in terms of size. So we are proud of ECT and its continued growth.

The management team always shows a lot of innovative ideas. ECT constantly searches for new angles to improve operations and become more effective.”

MR. CHENG: “ECT is a very important hub within Hutchison Ports. The company is highly focused on improving efficiency through the use of new technologies and such. That has helped Hutchison Ports a lot. I speak with many colleagues in Asia; they look at ECT as a powerhouse, a catalyst to inject more technologies into our organisation. We want to bring part of that culture to our corporate head office.”

How has Hutchison Ports benefited ECT?

MR. IP: “What Hutchison Ports has brought to ECT is our focus on customer relations and customer needs. In this very difficult industry of ours, customer focus is one of the most important elements to stay successful. I think that as the Group, we have over the years helped ECT to understand

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this better and we have supported them in formulating a successful strategy for this highly competitive landscape.”

MR. CHENG: “The two main things I think ECT has learned from Hutchison Ports are a stronger focus on customer requirements and on shareholder return. What’s more, ECT is now actively participating in the Hutchison Ports policy to work much more closely together as a cohesive organisation, whereby adopting the best practices of each Hutchison Ports company individually. This of course also includes sharing the best practices of ECT with the other ports within the Hutchison Ports network.”

‘ECT constantly searches for new angles to improve operations and become more effective’ What would you say are the most important current trends in the container industry?

MR. IP: “The most important current trend in container handling is the enormous competition. We therefore must become an even more cost-effective operator that on the one hand delivers a reliable service to customers and on the other hand operates as cost-efficiently as possible.

For this reason, we will have to work even smarter.”

MR. CHENG: “One of the most important trends in the current industry is the sinking margins because of further consolidation. Another major development is technological

Mr. Eric Ip, Group Managing Director of Hutchison Ports (l.) and Mr. Clemence Cheng, Managing Director of Hutchison Ports Europe.

advancement. Many global terminal operators have become technologically more advanced, so there’s a lot more competition. We therefore need to swiftly but wisely embrace further automations. ECT’s technological knowhow together with a highly experienced workforce are very important in helping Hutchison Ports to manage this transition.”

And how do you envision the future?

MR. IP: “Also in the future, competition will be everywhere.

We have to outsmart our competitors by providing an even more reliable service as cost-effectively as possible.

In gaining the confidence of customers, automation is an important solution and ECT is already quite advanced in this. Automation however is continuously reaching new levels. We have to catch up and keep on learning from the market regarding advanced technologies in order to be able to perfect our own systems.”

MR. CHENG: “I am very confident and optimistic about the future. ECT will still be around in 2025 and will actually be even stronger. It can’t be complacent however; ECT has to work hard to make sure that its products and services are excellent in order to keep the trust of its customers. In this respect, the recent strategic partnership in which COSCO Ports gained a 35 percent stake in the Euromax Terminal Rotterdam constitutes a solid foundation to build on. We will also see ECT and Hutchison Ports grow much closer together.

Felixstowe and ECT for example are already intensively cooperating in several ways, also from a commercial viewpoint. At times of congestion or delays (for whatever reason) we can consequently find a workaround for the customer. Getting ports to work together will certainly help Hutchison Ports to remain highly competitive in the very difficult industry of today and tomorrow.”

What are your thoughts on ECT’s 50th anniversary?

MR. IP: “It is the start of a new era for ECT. With the Euromax Terminal and the Delta Terminal, the company still has room for further expansion. My main expectation is that the company will grow stronger in terms of competitiveness.

ECT has that quality and will continue to be the leading operator in a competitive market. The last two years we’ve built on the strengths of the company, so that ECT can continue to grow in an environment with new competition.

I know that the current management team of ECT fully understands the market and pragmatically reacts to the new landscape in Rotterdam.”

‘Nowadays, people in many ways are much more aware of just how important the environment is for next generations’

MR. CHENG: “Personally, I think back to the time of Hutchison Ports’ acquisition of ECT. In the first meeting with ECT’s former supervisory board, the whole board room was filled with smoke because the financial director at that time, Bernard Thys, was a chain smoker. In the twenty years that followed, the whole world has changed and has become much cleaner. Nowadays, people in many ways are much more aware of just how important the environment is for next generations. This is certainly also the case at Hutchison Ports and ECT.”

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50 Years of ECT – A Brief On the 24th of October in 1966, six parties signed the contract for the establishment of Europe Combined Terminus – ECT. Five general cargo stevedores from Rotterdam and Dutch Railways agreed that all their containers – a new phenomenon at the time – would be handled by this new joint company. A brief overview of the highlights of 50 years of ECT...

Own Terminal Europe Container Terminus of the six shareholders has the full support of the Port of Rotterdam Authority.

The port authority is keen to avoid future fragmentation of container handling in the port. The formation of ECT is therefore a precondition for the allocation of space for ECT’s own terminal at the Prinses Margriethaven (part of the Eemhaven). On the 30th of August 1967, the Atlantic Span of shipping line ACL is the first ship to moor alongside ECT’s own quay.

500,000 Containers for the First Time In 1974 the ECT terminal, which by now covers a major part of the southern Eemhaven, for the first time handles more than 500,000 containers. With further growth in mind, ECT explicitly starts looking around for more space.

1974 1967

1966

1974 1970

1966 First Dedicated Container Ship Three of the six final shareholders already established Europe Container Terminals somewhat earlier. At the existing terminal of Quick Dispatch at the Eemhaven, this early ECT is the company that handles the SS Fairland of shipping line Sea-Land on May the 3rd 1966 – it’s the very first dedicated container ship to call at the port of Rotterdam.

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24/7 Service Provision Right from the start, ECT is a success.

In pace with the fast-expanding container sector, the company sees rapid growth. In response to the specific requirements of the new industry, the decision is already made in 1970 to switch to a 24/7 service provision through a four-shift system. Both are unique in the port of that time, as is ECT’s decision to pay its employees a regular monthly wage instead of the hourly wage then common in the port.

Overview

More than 1,000,000 Containers

Five-shift Roster As the first company in the Netherlands, ECT introduces the five-shift roster for employees working continuous shifts. This substantially reduces the physical burden of this kind of work.

Throughout the years, ECT has next always further optimised the work rosters, for the benefit of both the service provision to customers and the well-being of employees.

For the first time in its existence, ECT handles more than one million containers in a single year.

This happens at ECT’s only terminal of that time in the Eemhaven, which by then has been renamed Home Terminal.

1980 1983

1979

1985

1982 1979

1985

Multi Trailer System

ECT opens First Delta Terminal

In 1979, ECT presents its first major invention: the Multi Trailer System (MTS), a kind of container train on rubber tyres, consisting of a terminal tractor pulling 5 chassis capable of simultaneously transporting 10 TEU (also see page 22 – 23).

ECT opens its first terminal at the Maasvlakte. Many experts consider Rotterdam’s new port area on the North Sea too far from the market, but ECT is not afraid to make the move 40 kilometres to the west of the city. In addition to the Home Terminal at the Eemhaven, customers can from now on also opt to have their ships handled at the Delta Terminal at the Maasvlakte.

Inland Terminal in Venlo ECT opens its first inland terminal in Venlo in the south-east of the Netherlands. With the creation of such a foothold in the hinterland, ECT is once again way ahead of its time. From then on, Venlo and Rotterdam are connected daily by rail. Today, there are five rail services a day as well as a daily barge shuttle.

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The World’s First Automated Terminal On the 25th of June 1993, ECT opens the first automated container terminal in the world at the Maasvlakte for its largest customer Sea-Land. At this Delta/Sea-Land Terminal (nowadays the Delta Dedicated North Terminal) Automated Guided Vehicles transport containers across the quay and Automated Stacking Cranes move the containers in and out of the stack. From all over the world, people flock to Rotterdam to personally witness this revolution in container handling.

Delta Dedicated West Terminal With the opening of the automated Delta Dedicated West Terminal in 1999, the last part of the Delta peninsula is now also in use for container handling. In the following years, ECT says goodbye to the first, still conventional terminal at the Maasvlakte, the Delta Multi User Terminal. In the hinterland, ECT opens its own terminals in Duisburg (Germany) and Willebroek (Belgium).

First Phase Euromax Terminal At the northwest corner of the Maasvlakte, the first phase of the Euromax Terminal Rotterdam officially opens in 2008. In the future, this sustainable, next-generation automated terminal can further expand towards and at Maasvlakte 2.

In 2008, a start is also made with operations at the Delta Barge Feeder Terminal, dedicated to the handling of feeders and barges, at the tip of the Delta peninsula.

1993

2008 1999

1993

2008 2001 1996 Delta Dedicated East Terminal Based on the Delta/Sea-Land Terminal concept, ECT opens the further improved Delta Dedicated East Terminal on the south side of the ECT Delta Terminal.

Hutchison Ports acquires ECT Hutchison Ports officially acquires ownership of ECT at the end of 2001.

The world’s largest port investor, developer and operator from Hong Kong thus creates a foothold for itself on the European continent.

After a temporary name change in the late eighties from Europe Container Terminus to Europe Combined Terminals, the letters ECT now stand for Europe Container Terminals.

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The 150 Millionth TEU ECT handles the 150 millionth TEU since its inception and is the first European terminal operator to reach this unique milestone.

150 million TEU equals a line of containers of more than 900,000 kilometres long: from the earth to the moon and back and then a few more times around the world.

Indicative of the continuous scalingup in the shipping sector is the fact that ECT handled half of the total volume in the preceding ten years.

2014

Strategic Alliance with COSCO Ports For the Euromax Terminal Rotterdam, ECT enters into a strategic alliance with COSCO Ports, a subsidiary of COSCO Pacific Limited (CPL), which acquires 35 percent of the shares in the agreement. Through the cooperation, ECT can further improve its service provision to shipping line COSCO and its alliance partners.

At the same time, the COSCO Group strengthens its position in the port of Rotterdam. All the same, ECT will remain an independent multi-user terminal operator which provides services to various shipping lines.

2016

2010

2016 2015

2010 ECT launches EGS To reliably, efficiently and sustainably organise the hinterland transport, ECT launches European Gateway Services (EGS). EGS rapidly develops a European network with almost twenty participating inland terminals which are highly frequently connected with Rotterdam and other deepsea ports by barge and rail. The starting point for its service provision is an innovative, synchromodal approach.

Home Terminal is closed On the 1st of October 2015, ECT handles the last deepsea vessel at the Home Terminal. The terminal in the port area where everything started for ECT in the sixties is closed.

In anticipation of the ongoing increase in scale, ECT with a heavy heart makes the decision to from then on concentrate all its handing activities at the Maasvlakte. The ECT Delta Terminal and Euromax Terminal Rotterdam are both fully equipped to handle the largest container ships up to 20,000 TEU and more. ECT continues to fully invest in this at the Maasvlakte.

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ECT thanks all its deepsea customers for 50 years of trust and looks forward to a successful future together

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Anything for the Customer From the first 125 containers aboard the SS Fairland in 1966 to today’s call sizes of 10,000 TEU and more, ECT’s primary focus has always been to discharge and load the vessels of the shipping lines as efficiently as possible.

Five insiders share their customer experiences with ECT over the years.

‘50 years of cooperation’ Representing the interests of the shipping lines, the Association of Rotterdam Shipbrokers and Agents (VRC, Vereniging van Rotterdamse Carga­ doors) has a long-standing relationship with ECT. The background which chairman Kees Groeneveld and vice chairman Peter den Breejen specifically created for the photo actually says it all: ‘50 years of cooperation on continuous improvements in the Port of Rotterdam’.

VRC chairman Kees Groeneveld has been active in the port of Rotterdam since 1978; in daily life, he is Managing Director of Euro Nordic and as such a feeder customer of ECT. Vice chairman Peter den Breejen started in the port in 1979.

As Managing Director of COSCO Container Lines (Netherlands), he is a major deepsea customer and, since recently, a partner in the Euromax Terminal Rotterdam.

GROENEVELD: “As the VRC, we strive to improve the overall efficiency in the port, for example regarding government inspections, data exchange and the like. As a port, Rotterdam performs well. The entire interaction between shipping lines, transport companies, terminals and government bodies is well-thought-out.”

DEN BREEJEN: “For the VRC, ECT has traditionally always been the contact point for container handling. With the advent of new terminals at Maasvlakte 2, this has changed

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slightly, but there is still a lot of mutual consultation.

It is all about operationally cooperating as efficiently as possible in the port. Many parties, including the Port of Rotterdam Authority and Customs, play a role in this.

ECT is and will continue to be an important partner in that respect. Take the recent agreements on how the port should deal with the global requirement to specify the verified gross mass of export containers, for example.”

GROENEVELD: “ECT has been crucial to the development of the port of Rotterdam. In the past, I have taken many of my business contacts to see the world’s first state-of-art automated terminal. As a Rotterdam port guy, it kind of felt like your terminal as well; something that you could rightfully be proud of. Look, in Rotterdam we are good in openly pointing out any shortcomings. Things definitely also go wrong in other ports, but over there you will never hear anyone talk about this. In Rotterdam we are critical of ourselves, but always in order to further improve.”

DEN BREEJEN: “And this is how you actually make progress.

In the port, there is constant consultation on the further optimisation of processes. I remember the time that every shipping line had its own desk at ECT for arranging formalities. Now, that has all been automated. A driver can simply stay in his cab during a terminal call.”

GROENEVELD: “The world is changing. The most important development of today is that everything is becoming transparent. You can easily book your flight, hotel room and so on via the Internet. The same will no doubt happen to containers.”

DEN BREEJEN: “Thinking in terms of supply chains is becoming increasingly important. Transparency helps to make these chains predictable. Waiting is not always a problem, provided you’ve been informed.”

GROENEVELD: “The market will always continue to evolve.

For example, you now also increasingly see bulk cargo being transported in containers. The current freight rates make this interesting. A similar shift has already occurred in the reefer market, which has almost entirely changed to containers.”

DEN BREEJEN: “Although this may not be the easiest period in its existence, I foresee a bright future for ECT. Trade and transport continue to grow. Furthermore, with European Gateway Services ECT has come up with a clever solution to efficiently transport the thousands of containers that nowadays arrive in a single deepsea call to the hinterland.”

‘ECT is truly committed to our product’ The Managing Director of MSC Nederland, Theo van Ravesteyn, has already been working for the now second-largest shipping line in the world for 31 years. His first experiences with ECT actually pre-date that time. “I always imagined ECT to be somewhat monopolistic. Right from the start of our partnership in 2010, they have however been truly committed to the MSC product.”

“I started my career in the port in 1975 at Anthony Veder, a true traditional shipping agent. Among others, we were the agent for KSC (later Hanjin), which was part of the ACE Group. Once every fortnight, a vessel of 1700 TEU was handled by ECT at the Eemhaven. The entire operation was quite impressive. Just like the invention of that time: the fax machine. Anthony Veder did not have one yet, but we would ride our bikes to the neighbours across the river to pick up the stowage plan that ECT had sent by fax.

Truly groundbreaking for that time, and in fact the start of digitalisation.”

‘ECT was also a showcase for us as shipping agents’ “In the seventies and eighties, under the leadership of Gerrit Wormmeester, ECT was truly an innovative company, technologically driven and somewhat introverted. On the other hand, they did have a good PR department which organised great terminal tours for our clients. That also made ECT a showcase for us as shipping agents. When I started at MSC in the mid-eighties, the shipping line was initially a customer of ECT. MSC was still a relatively small northsouth carrier which at the time received more attention in Antwerp and therefore decided to shift most of the handling activities there. In 2010, MSC and ECT became reacquainted again in a partnership at the Delta Dedicated North Terminal.

I think that the arrival of MSC has more than offset the dip which the port was experiencing at the time. From one day to the next, we went from two to fifteen calls a week.”

‘We expect great flexibility from a terminal’

“I always envisioned ECT to be some­what monopolistic.

From the moment our cooperation commenced on the north side of the Delta, operations manager Henk Molenaar and his staff however were truly committed to the MSC product.

In this respect, it is important to point out that we are not a ‘regular’ shipping line. Windows do not exist at MSC. We expect a great degree of flexibility from a terminal.

And ECT offers just that. The recent operational cooperation of MSC with Maersk in 2M has however somewhat changed the situation again. Our largest ships are now handled elsewhere. Nothing is carved in stone though. Furthermore, with the increase in scale that is occurring on all trades gigantic ships still call at the Delta Dedicated North Terminal.

MSC sails with 7000-TEU ships on the Med, with 9000-TEU ships to South America and with 13,000-TEU ships to India.

Five years ago these were still the largest ships in the world.”

‘Containers will become smarter’ “Fifty years after its introduction in Europe, the container has remained virtually unchanged. Name me one other product for which this is the case. Containers will become smarter though, allowing for track & trace and the inspection of contents. The container still has so much potential, especially for the transport of bulk cargo. Using containers is highly addictive; do it once or twice and you cannot do without.”

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‘ECT really gives us the feeling that the customer comes first’ On the 25th of October 1975, the Seven Seas Bridge was the first vessel of “K” Line to moor at the ECT Home Terminal. The discharging and loading of those 178 containers marked the start of a close relationship that now already spans more than four decades. Managing Director of “K” Line Netherlands Fer Penders: “ECT understands that cooperation is key to optimum results. In the past, but certainly also today.”

“I have now been working at “K” Line for nineteen years; before that, from 1978 on, I worked at two other shipping agents in the port. You can’t compare the office of the eighties with that of today. Back then, it was always filled with cigarette smoke and the constant noise of typewriters and telephones. And that someone could easily send us a fax all the way from South America was nothing short of miraculous. Compare that to the present situation: every­ thing in the office is done via email or EDI. And of course, the increase in scale in the shipping sector is substantial.

When I started at “K” Line, it served the Far East with ships of 3700 TEU. I remember wondering how on earth we would ever be able to fill those ships. Now, not even twenty years later, we as “K” Line have just commissioned five new ships of 14,000 TEU and we will next add five more of a similar size.”

‘I expect the market to become more stable in 2017’ “However, times are quite dire for the container industry right now. Volumes are stagnating and the tariffs are in a downward spiral. Furthermore, the playing field of alliances is being reshuffled. Currently, “K” Line is still a member of the CKYHE alliance with COSCO, Yang Ming, Hanjin and Evergreen. From April 2017, we will however participate in a new strong group – THE Alliance – which besides “K” Line also comprises Hanjin, Hapag-Lloyd, MOL, NYK and Yang Ming. I expect that the three new global alliances will bring more stability in the market in 2017. In my opinion, it would be ideal if THE Alliance could be handled at one single terminal in Rotterdam, for example on the south side of the ECT Delta Terminal.”

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‘We have an ongoing dialogue with ECT aimed at continuous improvement’ “Globally, “K” Line always strongly focuses on customer service. Our primary concern is optimally serving our customers. The Dutch Shippers Council EVO acknowledged this in 2014 by electing us the best-performing shipping line.

As “K” Line, we are currently a customer at the Euromax Terminal and are in constant dialogue with them to further improve performance. That is something that I firmly believe in. Cooperation is the best way to achieve optimum results and ECT perfectly understands this. In the past, but certainly also today. You need to get the job done together.

In Leo Ruijs, ECT has a smart, very accessible CEO. He really conveys that ECT’s number one priority is the customer.”

‘ECT has two well-oiled terminals’ “Although the current situation in the port is far from optimal, I still expect things to pick up considerably in the future. It is a good thing that terminals automate whatever they can in that respect, but human contact remains important too though. Operating a terminal is truly a skill.

Everything must always be in the right place. ECT has two well-oiled terminals of which the Euromax can still double in size at a truly outstanding location.”

‘We particularly appreciate that ECT thinks along operationally’ ECT handled a first vessel of NYK Line in 1993; relatively late, given the fact that the Japanese shipping line will mark the 120th anniversary of a regular scheduled service to Rotterdam in 2018.

Nowadays, NYK is a customer of the ECT Delta Terminal as part of the G6 Alliance. Paul Erftemeijer, combined Managing Director NYK Line Benelux and Director Operations Europe: “Rotterdam is and will continue to be the obvious gateway to many European destinations, with ECT as a major player.”

“I have been working for NYK Line in Rotterdam since 1985.

First through NYK’s former shipping agent Van Ommeren; when NYK Line established its own office, directly from 1994 on. Since I started my career, the ships have grown tremendously in size. In 1994, the NYK Altair was the largest ship in the world with 4300 TEU. Now, we at NYK Line operate 14,000-TEU ships. A vessel size that fits NYK Line and makes the ships flexibly deployable on multiple trade lanes. Also quite remarkable in comparison with 1994 is that despite many more containers, our staff size in Rotterdam – about 60 – has remained pretty much the same over the years. As at ECT, automation has always continued at NYK.”

‘ECT is highly cooperative and solution-oriented’

“A good terminal offers flexibility, reliability, consistency and connectivity. ECT scores high in all four areas. What we particularly appreciate about ECT is that they think along in terms of operations. Circumstances can always arise in which a ship unfortunately misses its window.

In those cases, ECT is highly cooperative and result-oriented; they always pro-actively work with us to still accommodate the call. We experience the same attitude when releasing containers for pick-up. For us this is very important: the operation is key. Moreover, our interaction with ECT is good at all levels. CEO Leo Ruijs is really receptive to the wishes and needs of his customers.”

‘Onward transport is important; you have to excel in that’ “What ECT also does well is its focus on hinterland transport through European Gateway Services. After all, Rotterdam is a transit port. Onward transport is important, you have to excel in that. We use quite a few ECT hubs in the hinterland; Venlo, Nuremberg and Munich, for example. What could be improved is the flexibility towards feeder and barge operators. As non-contractual partners, they now sometimes fall between two stools. In dialogue between the shipping line, the inland operator and ECT, we should improve this and thus avoid congestion.”

‘Much of what was previously moved by air is now moved by sea’ “Throughout the years, nothing much has really changed about the container. This in contrast to the massive investments made by the shipping lines in increasingly larger ships and by terminals like ECT to adapt their facilities to accommodate these new giants. Reefer containers are also the subject of huge development. Much of what was previously moved by air is now moved by sea. Rotterdam is and will continue to be the obvious gateway to many European destinations, with ECT as a major player. How the container volumes will develop is difficult to predict.

That among other things depends on the further development of global trade and on how the new alliances – NYK Line will join THE Alliance – will implement their new sailing schedules as of April 2017.”

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50 Years of Social Innovation

People and Technology Hand in Hand 50 years of container handling at ECT is also synonymous with 50 years of social innovation. Since its inception, ECT has been at the forefront of progressive organisational development. Just to mention one example: in 1980, it was the first company in the Netherlands to introduce a five-shift roster. At ECT, organisational innovation however is an ongoing process. Director Operations & HR Jasper Hooykaas: “Our main aim is to constantly improve customer service levels.”

In ECT’s highly automated, process-driven work environment, it is actually the combination of man and technology that makes the company strong, states Hooykaas. “In our continuous aim to improve our performance for the customer, technology is important; however, it is the employees who make the real difference.” To make this possible, ECT places responsibilities with the employees as much as possible.

“ECT employs roughly 2000 skilled professionals. They know best how to perform their own tasks and basically only require minimal further instructions. In fact, we actually expect our employees to tell the organisation what is needed to achieve an optimal performance.” Having responsibility however also means the employees need to assume accountability for their actions. “In this way, we keep on learning as a company in order to further improve our services.”

From Dockworker to ‘Regular’ Employee From the very start, ECT continuous focus on organisational development went hand in hand with the service provision to customers. In the company’s early phase, this for example became apparent in the introduction of a separate Collective Labour Agreement (CAO in Dutch) for ECT to replace the previously applicable Collective Labour Agreement for the port as a whole. This ECT CAO of the early seventies among other things comprised agreements about the 24/7 opening of the terminal and, simultaneously, the introduction of a four-shift work roster. Absolutely unique in the port of Rotterdam at the time. As the new kid on the block and in view of the completely different approach that container handling requires compared to conventional general cargo, ECT was also the first port company to switch to a monthly salary rather than the hourly wage common in the port at the time. Dockworkers became ‘regular’ and valued 20

employees at ECT, with good working conditions and a modern and fitting HR policy. Right from the beginning, this HR policy also had a strong focus on the training and development of employees, working conditions and safe operations as well as on employee involvement in operational and organisational developments. Hooykaas: “The starting point has always been that what is good for ECT is good for the employees and vice versa.”

First with Five-shift Roster In 1980, ECT was the very first company in the Netherlands to implement a five-shift work roster. The workweek for employees working continuous shift was thus reduced from 38.25 hours to 32.5 hours, decreasing the burden on employees.

Hooykaas: “Since then, ECT has always continued further perfecting the continuous shift system. Alternative forms of scheduling have our constant attention, also taking into consideration new scientific insights on the health impact of working in continuous shifts.” In the development of work schedules, ECT’s primary focal point is always to ensure that sufficient employees are available when ships are at

‘Technology is important; however, it is the employees who make the real difference’ the quay, explains the director of Operations & HR. “On the other hand, today’s employees have an increasing need for customisation and flexibility in terms of work versus leisure time. Without compromising our service levels whatsoever, we as ECT try to meet their individual scheduling preferences

‘ECT employs roughly 2000 skilled professionals’

as best as we can. In that respect, we’re also exploring ways to even more accurately predict workloads.” Current examples of this development are the customised schedules that ECT has created for older employees who want to start working part-time. What’s more, all operational employees can nowadays also easily trade shifts via the Internet. Through new initiatives, ECT wants to further expand these options in the near future. Always with the primary aim in mind: to continuously improve the service to customers.

The Next Difference Hooykaas: “Currently, we are working towards the next difference in service rendering at our terminals: an actual ‘non-stop’ 24-7 operation without breaks for shift changes and such. That is why we are currently piloting optimal character recognition (OCR) for reading container data on the quay cranes at the ECT terminals. The same applies to the tests we are conducting with quay cranes that are remotely controlled by our crane operators from inside the operational building.” The skills of the employees remain pivotal in that respect. “Whether from inside or from the

crane cabin: using their professional expertise, the crane team decide the most efficient unloading and loading process.” Putting the responsibility with the crane team is not the final phase in that respect, indicates Hooykaas.

“The next step that we will be focusing on is the realisation of object teams – consisting of various crane teams – that are jointly responsible for the optimal handling of deepsea vessels, feeders, trains or barges.”

“Successful change can only be achieved if we continuously look forward together with all the relevant stakeholders,” concludes Hooykaas. “Stagnation means decline. Any idea that benefits the further development of the organisation is always welcome. And it’s fair to expect this from 2000 skilled professionals. The best innovations are those that originate from within the organisation. Time after time, ECT has proven this over the past 50 years. And it will definitely also ensure that ECT will retain its position as most prominent container terminal operator and market leader in Europe in the future as well.”

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The Container changed the World...

ECT changed the World of the Container In its 50-year existence, ECT has come up with major inventions which have completely changed container handling. The most striking example of course is the automated terminal, but there is more. To this day, ECT still continues to lead the way in innovation.

With the launch of the automated Delta/Sea-Land Terminal at the Maasvlakte (now the Delta Dedicated North Terminal) in 1993, ECT pioneered a highly revolutionary, completely unprecedented approach to container handling comparable to, for example, the shift from steam locomotive to electrical train. An operation controlled by a comprehensive computer system in which Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) transport the containers across the quay and Automated Stacking Cranes (ASCs) take care of the stacking was absolutely unique. ECT’s concept was far ahead of its time 22

and it was not until the 21st century that other terminal operators would start to catch up. In 2008, ECT opened the Euromax Terminal Rotterdam at the Maasvlakte. At this next-generation automated container terminal, the quay cranes are fitted with a second cat system, AGVs supply the containers in the backreach of the crane and each stack lane is fitted with two ASCs, with the one on the landside capable of remotely controlled discharging and loading trucks. From the start, this Euromax concept has inspired the development of many other new terminals in the world.

For the future, ECT has the ambition to continuously shake up the container sector as well

The equipment that ECT has developed over time with partners for the automated terminals has continuously evolved as well. In 2013, this for example resulted in the introduction of a hybrid AGV which combines improved performance (twice as fast as previous generations, suitable for twin carrying) with significantly lower CO2 emissions.

Moreover, this AGV is suitable for using the cleanest power sources of the future.

Multi Trailer Systems Of a much earlier date is the introduction of the Multi Trailer System (MTS) by ECT in collaboration with the Delft University of Technology and manufacturer Buiscar.

In April 1979, these short trains on rubber wheels performed their first test runs at Rotterdam’s airport. An MTS consists of a terminal tractor which pulls five chassis with a total capacity of ten TEU. Through an ingenious axle system, these chassis meticulously follow each other. This makes the MTS ideally suited for simultaneously transporting multiple containers between the quay crane and the stack or, as is the case at the current ECT terminals at the Maasvlakte, between the deepsea quays and the adjacent rail or barge terminals. Originally devised by ECT, the MTS is currently in use at many container terminals the world over.

Leading in Hinterland Transport Currently, ECT is particularly innovative regarding the organisation of hinterland transport through European Gateway Services (EGS, see article pages 24 - 25). The new synchromodal transport concept devised by ECT Director Marketing & Sales Wando Boevé is successfully being implemented in practice via EGS. Both nationally and internationally, synchromodality is now also increasingly gaining ground beyond ECT and EGS.

ShoreTension In a joint venture with All-round Port Services (the pension fund of the Royal Boatmen’s Association Eendracht, KRVE), ECT globally exploits the ShoreTension. This invention by the boatmen of Rotterdam makes it possible to safely moor sea-going vessels in strong winds or at berths affected by swell. The stand-alone mooring system ensures that a ship always remain fixed to the quay. This prevents the ship from breaking free from its moorings and makes it easier for the terminal to unload and load.

Continuous Innovation Innovation is clearly a continuous process at ECT. One of the next focal points is the introduction of remotely controlled quay cranes. Not by copying the crane cab one-on-one inside the operational building, but rather by out-of-the-box thinking about optimum remote control to support the employees in their service provision to customers. This is just one example. For the future, ECT has the ambition to continuously shake up the container sector as well.

On Many Fronts Technological innovation is but one aspect though. ECT has also always been highly innovative in terms of social policy (see article pages 20 - 21). The introduction of the 24/7 opening of terminals and a regular monthly salary for port workers in the early seventies both started at ECT. In the early eighties, ECT was the first company in the Netherlands to introduce a five-shift roster and in the nineties it was breaking new ground in the port through the introduction of large-scale collective company transport. Up to this day, approximately half of all ECT employees (about 1000) safely and sustainably commute to and from work by company bus.

√ Creator of the automated container terminal, including AGVs and ASCs √ Inventor of the Multi Trailer System √ Leader in social innovation √ Synchromodal organiser of hinterland transport √ What will ECT’s next innovation be...?

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EGS further expands through ECT subsidiary European Gateway Services (EGS) offers shipping lines, transport companies, freight forwarders and shippers a comprehensive European network for reliable, efficient and sustainable hinterland transport.

One of EGS’ unique selling points in that respect is its synchromodal approach. A new planning tool – the Synchromodal Trip Optimizer – enables EGS to further distinguish itself from the competition.

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Synchromodality entails consistently selecting the best mode of transport, route and time for each transport.

When necessary, it is also still possible to change these selections, even when the container is already in transit.

All with the aim to always deliver the container on time, in the most cost-efficient and sustainable manner.

The STO lays the foundation for a uniform approach in a European hinterland network that currently already comprises almost twenty participating inland terminals, all of which are highly frequently connected with Rotterdam and Antwerp by barge and rail. Van Andel is noticing a growing appreciation for the EGS product.

The Synchromodal Trip Optimizer (STO) makes this possible; this new innovative planning tool has been specifically developed for EGS. “Besides some basic information, the only thing the customer needs to specify in his transport order is the collection and delivery location of the container and the desired time of arrival,” says EGS director Mark van Andel.

“We next synchromodally take care of everything, fully relieving the customer of this burden. Using complex algorithms, the STO optimally plans each transport.”

“Southern Germany is a good example. Since we started there two years ago, the interest in our Rotterdam-Bayern Express, which connects the port daily by rail with Nuremberg and Munich, has clearly increased. Companies in Bavaria now realise that we are here to stay and are starting to shift more and more container flows from the North-German seaports to Rotterdam. In the first half of 2016, the Rotterdam-Bayern Express transported 80% more containers compared to the first six months of 2015.”

Growing Appreciation for EGS

‘Standard’ and ‘Express’

EGS implemented the STO at its Rotterdam branch just before the summer of 2016 and will further expand the roll out to the own EGS inland terminals in Venlo (south-eastern Netherlands), Duisburg (Germany) and Belgium (Willebroek) later this year. Van Andel: “The goal is to have all containers in the network planned and managed through the STO early 2017.”

With the current, phased commissioning of the STO, the product EGS offers will increasingly become truly synchromodal. Van Andel states that soon, customers will have the choice of two synchromodal varieties: ‘EGS Standard’ and ‘EGS Express’. “Both are fully synchromodal, so without a specified mode of transport and route. The only difference between ‘standard’ and ‘express’ is the transit time.”

Synchromodality For the time being, where necessary, EGS will also continue to offer customers the ‘traditional’, regular rail and barge connections. Gradually, this will shift towards a more synchromodal approach.

‘Working closely with the shipping lines and forwarders, we are moving deeper into the logistics chain’ Mental Shift The EGS director realises that both existing and potential customers will have to get used to the synchromodal approach. “We will therefore extensively inform the market about the concept. Something which we are currently already doing by playing the so-called SynchroMania Game (see box, ed.) with as many different companies as possible.”

In this serious game, developed in cooperation with the independent Dutch research institute TNO, participants can discover the advantages of synchromodal transport for themselves in a playful manner. “By experiencing it, synchromodality becomes tangible. Besides a modal shift, a synchromodal approach definitely also requires a mental shift. Customers need to get used to the idea of fully leaving the responsibility for their entire hinterland transport up to EGS.”

Both Central and Local In the meantime, EGS is also continuing to develop as a company. Van Andel: “We are working hard to transform the various own locations – Rotterdam, Venlo, Duisburg, Willebroek – into one true single organisation. With that, our synchromodal planning will over time take place centrally from one central location. In this way, we can

optimally benefit from using the STO.” Customer contact is a different story. “We actually aim to bring our customer service as close to the market as possible. All our locations have local customer service representatives, including an EGS office with a German-speaking representative in Munich.”

The director indicates that for the medium term, EGS is working on the development of a digital sales channel.

“This will give customers the possibility to arrange everything themselves online: from placing orders and following containers through track & trace to making payments. We will make a start with this in 2017.”

Through EGS, ECT is leading the trend in logistics towards further chain integration, says Van Andel. “Working closely with the shipping lines and forwarders, we are moving deeper into the chain and closer to the end customer. The STO puts us in the driver’s seat for this. Our innovative tool allows us to optimally manage the cargo and offers us full insight into the daily operation, culminating in the customer benefiting from our world-class reliable service.”

SynchroMania Game In the SynchroMania Game, the player takes on the role of a transport planner who carries out transport orders for demanding clients. In three rounds of play, he or she is increasingly given more flexibility regarding the choice of transport mode(s), route and transit time.

Who plays the game well – and therefore thinks synchromodally – will start noticing the benefits automatically. The serious game playfully makes the operational and financial advantages of synchromodal transport clear to everyone, from planner to customer.

Is your company interested in playing the SynchroMania Game? Then please contact EGS via + 31 (0) 181 27 8195 or info@europeangatewayservices.com.

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‘ Everything and Everyone connected’ Technological developments are occurring at an ever accelerating pace. ECT is emphatically anticipating this and is preparing for future innovations. Director Technology & Engineering Jan Waas: “Taking a well-deserved moment to nostalgically reflect on our 50th anniversary is nice, but we aim to continue making history in the future as well.”

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“We are right in the middle of the industrial revolution 4.0,” says Waas. “The Internet of Things, augmented reality and such are rapidly gaining ground. Everything and everyone in the world is becoming connected. New technological developments are succeeding each other faster and faster and the improvements are becoming exponentially greater.

The brainpower of computers has now surpassed that of man.” According to Waas, the new companies that are currently conquering the world – Uber and Airbnb, for example – are all rooted in the opportunities afforded by available technology. “Sheer size alone is no longer enough to ensure competitive success. In the business models of the future, proper use of IT will tip the scales regarding customer satisfaction and costs – also for ECT and the logistics chain in general.”

‘ECT is prepared, ready for future changes and aims to play a leading role in this respect’ Continuous Short Cyclical Improvements The IT director notes that the container industry is only in the initial phase of further digitalisation and connectivity.

At the same time, the container market is explicitly changing. “The tremendous growth in container volumes which we have grown accustomed to for so many years has come to an end. At the same time, ships are still growing larger though, which means fewer sailings and more peaks at the terminals. Properly accommodating this requires flexibility on our part.” Many new innovations are available; ECT recently for example introduced Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on the quay cranes and is performing tests with remotely operating the cranes.

“But this is definitely just the tip of the iceberg. We will also pro-actively implement other new technologies in our operations the moment they become available. It is all about continuously achieving short cyclical improvements.

The era of the classic planning process – first invent, then develop and next implement – is a thing of the past.

Various innovations are just on the horizon; ECT is prepared, ready for future changes and aims to play a leading role in this respect.”

Vertical Integration Through the use of new technologies, Waas expects that the logistics chain will increasingly integrate, both horizontally and vertically. ECT is already doing the latter by offering the market an extensive network for European hinterland transport through subsidiary European Gateway Services (EGS) in which inland terminals are highly frequently connected with the deepsea terminals in Rotterdam and other ports in a synchromodal manner.

“We are continuously considering ways to incorporate future smart applications into this concept. A good example

is the Synchromodal Trip Optimizer which EGS recently introduced. Based on complex algorithms, this innovative planning tool always calculates the best option in terms of mode of transport, route and time for each booking in real time. And this is also exactly how EGS carries out the transport. The only thing they need from the customer is an a-modal transport order which, besides some basic information, specifies the required time of delivery.”

Paying for Actual Use Horizontally, the introduction of cloud technology in particular allows for much more efficiency and integration, even globally. Waas: “Why invest in expensive servers as a terminal when you can also purchase remote computer capacity and only pay for what you actually use?

This also makes it much easier to share knowledge with other terminals. An improvement at one terminal can also immediately be implemented elsewhere through the cloud. All parties can quickly benefit at lower costs.

Virtual connectivity creates the basis for new global centres of excellence, further standardisation, greater efficiency and more effectiveness. “

‘It is my expectation that the logistics chain has the potential to become at least twenty percent more efficient and effective over the next ten years’

Embracing and implementing New Possibilities “It is my expectation that the logistics chain has the potential to become at least twenty percent more efficient and effective over the next ten years,” concludes Waas.

“Provided that all new opportunities are embraced and implemented, of course. As already mentioned, changes are taking place at an ever faster pace.” Waas sees many new possibilities, from a global scale to locally in Rotterdam. “Imagine that we at ECT could simply remotely determine the source of a problem with a quay crane and immediately replace the part in question instead of first needing to wait for an engineer to diagnose the issue on the spot; the quay crane could be returned to the operational process much faster.” Through analysing and combining, computers will also be increasingly capable to predict logistics patterns in advance.

“For example to determine the onward modality once a container has been discharged from a deepsea vessel and the customer has not yet specified this. Currently, we still need to contact him or patiently wait for him to collect the container. This holds the risk that the container is not in the most ideal location in the stack, thus requiring unnecessary additional actions.”

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