London—April 15, 2014—Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s leading port, signed a global partner deal with TOC Worldwide, organizer of the global TOC portfolio of port-centric maritime trade and supply chain events. The two partners said that the new agreement reflects a mutual commitment to foster greater dialog and cooperation across international supply chains at a time when global freight transport is facing significant new challenges.
Handling around 450 million tons of cargo annually, including nearly 12 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of container traffic, Rotterdam is a key global junction for goods flow, Europe’s largest maritime logistics and industrial hub, and the gateway to a market of over 350 million European consumers.
The Port of Rotterdam Authority is currently overseeing a major investment and innovation program aimed at cementing the port’s position as a global hub for containers, fuel and energy, and the leading hub for intra-European trade. This includes the development of a new container port infrastructure at the Maasvlakte 2 site, a growing range of projects to promote better hinterland connectivity and cargo flows, and research into new sustainable energy generation and power management solutions for the whole port community.
“Both at the port and in the hinterland, cooperation in the supply chain is key to success,” said Joyce Bliek, director of containers and breakbulk at the Port of Rotterdam. “Chain-wide solutions are needed to foster the new efficiencies needed to cope with the scale of current and future cargo flows.”
“One of our key roles as a port authority is to bring the different parties together to effect positive change,” continued Bliek. “Rotterdam has a long and rich history of exploring new frontiers, and pursuing innovation involving thousands of different companies and partners around the globe. We believe that sharing information leads to new perspectives, and a change of perspective leads to new results and progress.”
Since launching its first conference in Europe back in 1976, TOC brings industry executives together from across the globe to chart the changing face of maritime trade, shipping and port operations. Nearly 40 years later, today the organizer stages four events annually around the world, including TOC Asia (Singapore, April), TOC Europe (London, June), TOC Americas (Cartagena, October), and this year, the new TOC West Africa Market Briefing (Tenerife, December).
“Our role at TOC is to provide meeting hubs where all the supply chain stakeholders can gather to learn, debate and network,” said Paul Holloway, event director. “We have a long-standing relationship with Port of Rotterdam, which hosted TOC Europe a number of times, including our biggest event ever in 2013, as well as taking part with speakers and delegates around the world. It became clear to us both that we share a common ethos of promoting communication and collaboration along the supply chain.”
TOC Container Supply Chain: Americas
