Rotterdam was the city of dockworkers, but now it focuses on international business, tourism and smart solutions for international trade. After decades of stagnation and delay, Rotterdam no longer seems to lag behind the average Dutch economic growth. The second city of the Netherlands is on the rise and has undergone a major transformation. Bart Kuipers, senior researcher port economics at Erasmus School of Economics, was interviewed by EenVandaag about the strength and the future of the city.
It will always be a discussion, is Rotterdam a city with a port or a port with a city? According to Kuipers, it is the latter. ‘An integration is currently taking place which will make the city much more important, thanks to the high quality service providers who are moving to the city. So it is gradually becoming a Port City.’ The future of the city lies in data and smart solutions for trade, says Kuipers. And that future required a whole new set of hands. Now Rotterdam nog longer needs port workers, but ICT specialists.
In addition to the change to a knowledge-intensive port, the city must also participate in the energy transition. ‘Rotterdam is definitely saying goodbye to the fossil industry, the question is however at what pace.’ Kuipers expects that in the future the city will earn its money from offshore wind, the circular economy and new raw materials such as hydrogen. ‘The container industry and services will also remain important in the future.’