Digital transformation in ports is no longer just about testing new tools. For major hubs such as Rotterdam, the focus has shifted towards embedding digital systems in daily operations, where they can improve coordination, support better planning and help the wider port community respond more effectively to changing conditions.
Following the release of the Port of Rotterdam’s 2026 Digital Report, Port Technology International spoke with Tamires Beltrão, Head of Data Insights for Port Performance, about how data is being used across business teams to drive measurable improvements for the port and its customers.
Drawing on more than 12 years’ experience in performance management, business intelligence and data analytics, Beltrão discusses what this shift looks like in practice and what it takes to turn digital ambition into operational value.
The report suggests that digital innovation is moving beyond pilots and into day-to-day port performance. Where is this shift most visible in Rotterdam today, and what has changed in the way digital projects are now evaluated?
In Rotterdam, this shift is most visible where digital tools are embedded directly into core operational processes. Inland shipping planning through Nextlogic, port call optimisation, real-time congestion alerts for truck drivers, and the digitisation of quay walls and other assets are no longer pilots, but part of daily operations.
What has changed is that digital initiatives are now assessed primarily on operational impact rather than technological novelty. Solutions must demonstrably improve predictability, safety, scalability or sustainability before they are expanded across the port.
Many ports have tested digital tools, but scaling them across complex operational environments remains difficult. What have been the main barriers to moving from experimentation to practical deployment in Rotterdam?
The main barriers are complexity and interdependence. Ports consist of many actors with different systems, incentives and levels of digital maturity. Early pilots often worked well in isolation but struggled when confronted with real operational variability, legacy systems or data-sharing constraints.
Nextlogic, the integrated planning system for inland shipping, is a good illustration. While the technical solution matured relatively early, reaching near-full adoption among barge operators and terminals proved to be a long and demanding process.
Progress has come by recognising that digitalisation is fundamentally a change process. Governance, stakeholder alignment and long-term ownership have become as important as the technology itself.
Data is often discussed as the foundation of smarter port operations. In practical terms, how is the Port of Rotterdam using data to improve vessel planning, predictability and operational coordination?
Data is translated into practical, shared digital services rather than abstract analyses. Through Portbase, the Port Community System, the port community has steadily expanded a range of services that replace manual and paper-based processes, such as digital pre-notifications, cargo and call information, and hinterland coordination. These services provide all authorised parties with the same up-to-date information, improving predictability across the chain.
In parallel, the Harbour Master is developing a fairway planning pilot that uses predictive data on vessel movements, water depth, weather and traffic density to support nautical decision-making. By identifying potential bottlenecks earlier and actively supporting traffic flow management, this pilot improves coordination between seagoing vessels, nautical service providers and terminals. The emphasis is on actionable decision support embedded in daily operations.
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Digitalisation is increasingly being linked to emissions reduction. Can you give examples of where digital tools are helping Rotterdam make more sustainable operational decisions, rather than simply reporting on emissions after the fact?
Digital tools in Rotterdam increasingly influence operational decisions upfront. Port call optimisation enables just-in-time arrivals, reducing fuel consumption and emissions caused by waiting at anchor or berth. Integrated inland shipping planning reduces unnecessary sailing and congestion in port basins. In addition, digital asset management and predictive maintenance optimise inspections and dredging, lowering energy use and material consumption.
In these cases, digitalisation guides behaviour and planning choices rather than only measuring outcomes afterwards.
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The report highlights collaboration as a digital accelerator. What does effective collaboration look like when multiple stakeholders need to share data or align processes?
Effective collaboration is built around shared operational challenges rather than shared platforms alone. In Rotterdam, the starting point is identifying concrete issues in port and hinterland operations, such as reliability, predictability or capacity use, and determining together with the market which challenges to address and which digital solutions to implement.
These decisions are taken in structured forums such as the Sector Council Road, the Rail Connect Group and the Multimodal Council, where terminals, operators, logistics service providers and authorities align on priorities and implementation.
Neutral digital infrastructures like Portbase play an important enabling role by supporting agreed data exchanges and operational processes. At the same time, experience clearly shows that successful collaboration depends primarily on trust, clear governance and transparency around data ownership and use.
When these conditions are in place, data sharing leads directly to better information, improved planning quality and more reliable coordination across the port ecosystem.
Interoperability remains one of the biggest challenges in port digitalisation. What needs to happen next to ensure platforms can communicate more effectively across the wider chain?
Interoperability will only progress meaningfully if digitalisation is organised beyond individual ports and structured along international transport corridors.
Rotterdam increasingly focuses on aligning data exchange, planning processes and standards with other ports, hinterland hubs and logistics partners across borders, so that information can move seamlessly along entire supply chains.
This cooperation centres on harmonising port call and logistics data, using internationally recognised standards, and embedding them in operational use cases that support predictability and efficiency. By working through corridor-based initiatives, partners avoid fragmented, bilateral integrations and instead create scalable digital connections that benefit all users of the corridor.
This approach enables efficiency gains at scale, strengthens chain‑wide predictability and ensures that digital interoperability supports operational decision‑making rather than remaining a purely technical ambition.
Looking ahead to 2026, which digital developments do you expect to have the greatest impact on port resilience?
Predictive capabilities will have the greatest impact on resilience. This includes better use of data, digital twins and decision-support tools that help anticipate disruptions related to weather, congestion, energy constraints or geopolitical shifts.
Integrated planning across sea, terminal and hinterland operations, combined with stronger cyber resilience, will help ports remain reliable in an increasingly volatile environment.
For ports still at an earlier stage of their digital journey, what is the most important lesson Rotterdam has learned?
The key lesson is that digital ambition only delivers value when it is firmly anchored in daily operations. Rotterdam’s experience shows that successful initiatives start from clearly defined operational problems, involve end users early, and invest just as much in governance, cooperation and adoption as in technology itself.
Digital systems only create impact when they are trusted, widely used and aligned with how operations actually work on the quay, at the terminal or in the planning room.
After several years on this journey, the Port of Rotterdam recognises that digitalisation is not a linear transformation that can be managed centrally or delivered once. It is a continuous process of learning, adjusting and embedding new ways of working across a complex ecosystem.
This requires realistic expectations, space for gradual adoption and close collaboration between public and private parties. Ports that embrace digitalisation as an operational and organisational journey, rather than a purely technical one, are better positioned to build resilience, predictability and long-term value.
Tamires Beltrão is Head of Data Insights for Port Performance for the Port of Rotterdam. Her role is to promote the use of data insights within business teams to help the port become measurably better together with its customers.
Her professional experience includes more than 12 years dedicated to performance management, business intelligence and data analytics roles in local and regional structures in Latin America and Europe. Since 2019, she has been leading data teams within business areas.
