Discover Amsterdam
Meetings and Conventions
Business
Live, Work and Study
Do business in the Amsterdam Area
Discover Amsterdam
Meetings and Conventions
Business
Live, Work and Study
shipping vessels at the port
Image from Giampiero Maietti for amsterdam&partners

Port of Amsterdam

Since its inception, the Port of Amsterdam has served as a hub for trade, logistics, and waste management. In close proximity to the city, the Port continues to strengthen Amsterdam's industrial infrastructure whilst advancing the city's economic and societal values. Today, it is Europe's 4th largest port and leads the transition to a circular economy with an emphasis on clean energy production and scaling innovative solutions.

Transitioning to circular industry

One thing that is a constant at the Port of Amsterdam is change. I amsterdam took a tour with James Hallworth, the Sustainable and Circular Industry Manager. In his over 15 years on the job, he has seen the vital role the Port plays:

“In a way, the Port acts like a mirror to the city. It reflects the direction that Amsterdam is heading and lays the groundwork to get there.”
- James Hallworth, Sustainable and Circular Manager at Port of Amsterdam
Port of Amsterdam tour
Image from Giampiero Maietti for amsterdam&partners

Facilitating the transition to a circular economy has required a complete overhaul of the linear way of thinking and doing business. “In a circular economy, companies function as parts of a larger ecosystem rather than like links in a chain. Relationships are more symbiotic, with different parts of the ecosystem interacting with each other as they work towards mutually beneficial goals.”  

In the last few years, the Port has taken steps to shift its core industries and forge new connections that promote a more sustainable way of working. This means connecting the dots between the Port’s many occupants, helping them find smarter solutions right in their own backyard:

“These types of changes don’t happen overnight. Creating a sustainable ecosystem is like planting a garden. First you start with planting a few trees, then maybe some plants and flowers. After a few years of nurturing, the garden has matured and attracts the bees and insects. It’s all about creating value and a community that helps the ecosystem keep growing on its own.”

Making innovation part of the ecosystem

The bar is set high for the future. By 2030, Amsterdam aims to reduce raw material consumption by 50% and become a waste free economy by 2050. In order to meet these ambitions, innovative solutions are needed to create an economy that is circular by design. Enter Prodock - the Port's onsite innovation hub. 

Port of Amsterdam tour
Image from Giampiero Maietti for amsterdam&partners

Founded in 2015, Prodock is an initiative to give future-forward entrepreneurs a place for innovation and experimentation within the Port community. It does this based on providing 3 pillars: a space to test, community to learn from, and launch pad to major industrial players. 

The limit for Prodock residency is 5 years, meaning companies come here to accelerate and then take off. This hub has helped many innovative initiatives get off the ground including The Great Bubble Barrier, Photanol, and Climate Cleanup.  

Exploring new sources of clean energy

Tour the Port of Amsterdam today, and you’ll see every type of energy production method you can imagine – except fossil fuel. That’s because the Port of Amsterdam is on the way to banning fossil terminals and has pledged to stop handling coal completely by 2030.

They are already facilitating this transition with many of their customers, helping them to find future-proof ways to do business:

“By now it’s clear that companies need to change how they do things, or risk becoming obsolete. With the growing economic incentive to transition to circular, we see a lot more legacy companies taking action. When you see these linear companies start being open to innovation, that’s a sign that real change is taking hold.”
- James Hallworth, Sustainable and Circular Manager at Port of Amsterdam
Port of Amsterdam tour
Image from Giampiero Maietti for amsterdam&partners

Amsterdam as a base for logistics operations

The Port of Amsterdam’s geographic location lends it a strategic advantage. With easy access to both the city centre and major water ways (via the world’s largest sea lock), the Port benefits from a high level of connectivity. Exemplifying this is the newly built CTPark Amsterdam City , a sustainably built last-mile logistics centre that is easily accessed by major road and waterways. From this hub, goods can be efficiently offloaded, stored, and delivered to their final destination via electric vehicle.

Touring clean energy production
Image from Giampiero Maietti for amsterdam&partners

Amsterdam is known globally for its leadership in circular innovation, and the Port of Amsterdam is at the epicentre of implementing these solutions at scale. People come here to implement new technology that adds value and contributes to a more sustainable ecosystem. When it comes to shaping the future, the Port of Amsterdam is the place to be.

To learn more about doing business in this location, contact the amsterdam inbusiness expert in your sector. .