Port of Rotterdam provides container owner with valuable data 24/7

For several years now, the Port of Rotterdam has had ‘the smartest container the planet has ever seen’. The initiative accelerates the digital transformation in port logistics by means of an intelligent container. This is filled with equipment that gathers data in real-time, such as temperature, humidity and location.

Cargo departs and arrives again at its destination. What happens in the meantime is unclear. Erwin Rademaker of the Port of Rotterdam: “We link the physical world to the digital one. Customers want to know what goes on with their container during the trip. Is it held up somewhere for too long? Is the cooling system still working properly? Collecting that data is relevant, because you can next use it as a basis to direct the cargo.”

Working together makes perfect sense for Rademaker: “For 20 years already, Portbase has been working on what is relevant today: providing insight into the entire port. They focus on parties that want to share data, like us.” Innovative solutions such as Container 42 benefit from such a total overview: “As a knowledge leader in the field of container logistics, Portbase has insight into the entire supply chain. And that allows us to come up with solutions for problems that arise in the market.”

It is important that this is done in a neutral and not-for-profit manner. “We increasingly need more data that must be secure and authorised. Furthermore, the world is becoming busier and sustainability must be increased. Therefore, one system works better than many individual ones. Portbase is, as it were, the USB hub into which everyone can plug their cable.”