Port of Rotterdam - Towards a competitive and sustainable future with actual impact

To build an adaptable and resilient future, the Port must collaborate on solutions to real-world challenges. In November 2024, students, organizers, professional facilitators, and industry and policy leaders gathered for a 24‑hour hackathon designed to tackle precisely these questions.

The hackathon’s challenges were grounded in real issues facing the Port of Rotterdam. Beyond weather-related disruptions, the Port contends with economic and political pressures, operational complexities, and the ambition to make its ecosystem carbon neutral by 2050. While data is available, it is not yet sufficiently shared and used to its fullest potential. Current solutions are largely reactive, even though the long‑term ambition is to adopt a far more proactive approach.

Achieving a sustainable future requires the Port to work with accurate predictive models, but ensuring accuracy is a challenge in itself. Since the hackathon, student Ioannis Pantidis has invested significant time in analyzing Port data. His work resulted in a machine‑learning model capable of forecasting congestion peaks, accompanied by a user‑friendly web app that clearly visualizes these predictions. To ensure such models can be adopted effectively, student Marysia Pacyna developed a front‑end design, conducted desk and market research, created internal and external buy‑in materials, and monitored progress throughout the project.

Tamires Beltrão, Head of Data Insights of Port Performance and MSc Data Science at Erasmus University Rotterdam, proudly states:

'We are happy with the collaboration with the students and universities. The weather disruptions research brings a new perspective to an important operational challenge for the Harbormaster, nautical service providers, and port users. As analytics team, our role is to turn data into progress: every insight we deliver strengthens a port that is becoming smarter, cleaner, and more resilient. As we move toward a climate neutral and circular port system by 2050, supported by digitally connected logistics, AI-driven coordination, and robust industrial clusters, we measure how each operational choice improves port performance. By grounding decisions in transparent, real-time performance intelligence, we help Rotterdam stay competitive and sustainable; ensuring the port remains Europe’s leading hub well into the future.'

Drawing from fresh expert perspectives and continuous refinement, Ioannis and Marysia have reached a point where additional features no longer improve the predictive model. They are now preparing a white paper outlining the tool, its findings, and recommended next steps. Although broader implementation will take time, this work marks an important stride toward a competitive, sustainable future, and one that promises real, lasting impact.

To show how the project came together, we created a short explainer video. It highlights how students from TU Delft and Erasmus University Rotterdam worked side by side, combining different skills and perspectives. From data analysis and building a predictive model to design and implementation, their collaboration shows how complex port challenges can be translated into usable solutions.