We’re picking up where we left off

BY DENNIS JUL PEDERSEN, CEO OF PORT ESBJERG

We’re picking up where we left off. Port Esbjerg continues to experience high levels of activity and is the subject of great interest.

The other day, a train which had travelled 36 hours from Slovakia rolled into the port. On board were 240 passenger cars. It was a joyous day, because it shows that the businesses at Port Esbjerg have skills and knowledge in a wide range of fields, and this palette will only get bigger and better as we expand the port and adapt the area so we are always able to offer the best conditions for development and innovation.

The train transporting the cars was not a one-off event. We expect a similar train every week from now on, meaning the transport of upwards of 10,000 passenger cars on an annual basis. The extension of the railway tracks is providing new opportunities for businesses at the port. It took a lot of hard work for Scandinavian Auto Logistics and DFDS to get the deal done, but they were successful and it is a good example of the collaborative partnership between the port and businesses.

The train from Slovakia arrived the same week in which we were able to announce that a local company has invested in the port’s property development company. This investment is entirely in line with our strategy for the port and helps ensure that we can initiate and run even more projects. In the past year, we launched three warehouse construction projects. Port Esbjerg is attracting a great deal of interest!

This is also true internationally. For the third time in two years, our collaboration with Harvard Business School resulted in a team of MBA students visiting Esbjerg to see the green transition in practice. They will have seen how technology, innovation and the green transition fit hand in glove at Port Esbjerg. In this newsletter, Professor Willy Shih from Harvard shares his thoughts on the impact of worldwide geopolitical uncertainties on innovation in the green transition. Tellingly, the interview took place on the electric ferry between the island of Fanø and Esbjerg.

In summary, across all our business areas, we see continued high levels of activity and great opportunities to serve both new and existing customers in the New Year. This provides fertile ground for innovation and development, also in 2025.

Read more about the visit from Harvard Business School, the investment in the port infrastructure and the new RoRo route from Slovakia in this edition of our newsletter.