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Karin Rix Holländer
Executive Assistant MA
When Europe’s supply chains come under pressure, it soon affects the competitiveness of European businesses. Fast and efficient movement of goods, energy and materials across the continent’s borders and onwards to global markets is therefore imperative. In this context, ports play a pivotal role as connectors between markets and countries and as an integral component of European value chains.
That ports have become strategic hubs in Europe is also emphasised at the highest political level. In this newsletter, we feature an interview with EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who makes it clear that strengthening the resilience, security and competitiveness of Europe’s ports will be a strong priority in the upcoming EU Ports Strategy. He states: “I want Europe’s ports to become the cornerstones of a safer, more resilient and more competitive Europe.”
This aligns with the principal findings of a recent analysis by Boston Consulting Group, which concludes that Europe’s ability to strengthen global competitiveness depends on efficient sea, rail, road and air transport connectivity. When infrastructure works as one unified system, Europe trades efficiently. When it fails, bottlenecks, delays and loss of competitiveness ensue. In this newsletter, Peter Jameson, Managing Director and Partner at BCG, offers his perspective on what this entails and what is required to ensure the success of large-scale infrastructure projects in Europe.
At Port Esbjerg, we see every day how seamless transport connectivity makes a real difference. With direct access to motorway, rail and airport infrastructure and a consistent focus on speed, we help secure fast delivery of goods and cargo from European businesses to global markets.
This is the result of targeted investments in port expansions and modernisation to increase capacity and reduce lead times. The aim is to strengthen the facilities available to businesses and enhance efficiency through physical infrastructure, digitalisation and close cross-sectoral and cross-border collaboration.
The importance of transnational coordination to prevent bottlenecks and secure stable energy flows was most recently reaffirmed at the North Sea Summit in Hamburg, Germany, where it was emphasised that more efficient interaction and infrastructure expansion are critical to both security of supply and competitiveness.
Resilience has become key. Climate-related events, geopolitical turmoil and vulnerable supply chains have made it clear that infrastructure is not merely an instrument of growth, but is vital to the functioning of society.
As a NATO port and a strategic logistics hub, Port Esbjerg carries a responsibility to ensure operational reliability, flexibility and capacity. Dual use is not an abstract concept, but a practical necessity for a secure Europe.
Accordingly, we are systematically industrialising the port’s development, from fairway deepening and rail terminal expansion to fully electrified RoRo operations. Faster flows and lower emissions go hand in hand.
But infrastructure is not just about concrete and steel. Innovation and intelligent solutions are essential to ensure that the port continuously evolves and is able to support both efficiency and resilience. International partnerships play a central role in turning global insights into concrete practical solutions for daily operations, from new approaches to organising logistics to the deployment of new technologies.
In this newsletter, you can therefore also read the interview with the EU Commissioner on the upcoming EU Ports Strategy, Boston Consulting Group’s analysis of Europe’s infrastructure challenges, how the Port Innovators Network and Port Esbjerg’s innovation hub foster concrete innovation – and how drones contribute to smarter, more efficient and robust port operations.
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