b'Perspective: Digital Transformation Driving Digital Transformation: A Perspective from Erwin Rademaker, Program Manager, Port of Rotterdam AuthorityBy Michael J. KeeganThe Port of Rotterdam isToday, the port is a strategically important distribution point the largest port in Europe.in Europe. From 1962 until 2004, it was the worlds busiest From all indications, theport. Today, the port stretches 26 miles, docks more than port is preparing for the140,000 vessels annually, and handles about 460 million future today, focusingtons of cargo annually. on safety, efficiency, and sustainability. To do thisThe port is operated by the Port of Rotterdam Authority, origi-successfully, the port isnally a municipal body of the municipality of Rotterdam, developing its digital twin,but since January 2004, a government corporation jointly providing real-time situ- owned by the municipality of Rotterdam and the Dutch ational awareness of allState. The mission of the Port of Rotterdam Authority is to things static, moving,create economic and social value by working with clients human-driven, or autono- and stakeholders in the realization of sustainable growth in mous, pulling together all the geographic, sensor, and real- Rotterdams world-class port. The objective is to enhance time information to provide port personnel a complete andthe ports competitive position as a logistics hub and world-current view of port activities.class industrial complexnot only in terms of size, but also with regard to quality. The Authority is leading the transition Erwin Rademaker, program manager with the Port ofto sustainable energy and it is committed to digitalization in Rotterdam Authority, joined me and my co-host, Sreeramorder to make the port and the supply chain more efficient. Visvanathan, IBM global managing director for Government,The core tasks of the Authority are to develop, manage, and Healthcare, and Life Sciences on The Business of Governmentexploit the port in a sustainable way and to deliver speedy, Hour, to discuss the Port of Rotterdams digital transformationsafe services for shipping.strategy, how it is creating its digital twin, and other ways the port is changing the way it does business. We conductedCompetitive Advantage for the Port of Rotterdamthis interview at this years SPADE conference hosted inFrom a historical point, our competitive advantage is loca-Soesterberg, the Netherlands. It brought together defense,tion. We are a river port. The river Meuse and the Rhine, intelligence, and security leaders from Europe and aroundtwo of the biggest rivers on the European continent, are on the world in dialogue with experts from IBM and industry.the western side and flow into the sea at Rotterdam. Our This years theme was designing for the future of defense andgreat connection to the hinterland, rivers, and sea is a stra-security. The following is an edited excerpt of our discussion,tegic advantageso thats one thing. At the other end, we complemented with updated and additional research. have very deep waters. The port can accommodate ships that require deep water to offload and onload. While loca-History and Mission of the Port of Rotterdam tion and water depth are reflective of traditional competitive The Port of Rotterdam is one of the oldest and largest seaportsadvantages, we also need to think about what our competi-in Europe. The port became a major seaport in 1360 aftertive advantages need to look like in the future. Today, we are the construction of a canal to the Schie. This developmentthe most connected port, both physically and now digitally, allowed the port to gain access to larger cities in the north,as we undergo a total digital transformation. and to facilitate the transport of goods between England and Germany. The Port of Rotterdam became the countrys second most important port after its expansion along the Meuse. 68 www.businessofgovernment.org The Business of Government'