Maurice Jansen
Erasmus University Rotterdam
During my PhD defense, the committee asked a provocative question: “Is the port really in such a positive state after all?”. This question directly addressed the title of my dissertation: Ports as a driving force of positive change? The question mark was not incidental – it invited scrutiny. The committee challenged whether my conclusion was already outdated.
The defense of my dissertation took place on January 16, 2025, just days before the new U.S. president would usher in a landslide victory for an aggressive form of politics. This new power politics also resonates internationally with ice-cold trade politics, hard commodity deals, and forceful regime changes. Overnight, the sustainable development of business models – and thus the energy transition – has become a back-and-forth battle. Not only are companies now scaling back their green ambitions, but governments are also forced to respond to the rhetoric of warlords.
The trend from multilateral cooperation to unilateral power politics by a few large countries had been going on for some time: the polarization between Democrats and Republicans in the United States, Putin's land grabs in Ukraine and Central Asia, and, more recently, the unlawful capturing of the president of Venezuela by the Trump administration. While the warlords are playing RISK, climate protection has to wait. A narrative of fear reigns, triggering a call for self-defense against perceived evil, which is used to (mis)lead and control people. Real and pressing existential problems – such as the effects of climate change, and a future-oriented and innovative economy – are fading into the background. At the European level, the Green Deal is being watered down to a conservative Clean Deal. This European industrial policy is increasingly taking on a character to protect and maintain the old economy: steel, chemicals, and automobiles. With the Clean Deal there is also the risk of a fossil lock-in, meaning a stronger and longer dependency on carbon-intensive processes (e.g. industrial processes to manufacture goods, such as liquids, gases, solid materials, which are highly energy-intensive). The relief and flexibility mechanisms remove the pressure to accelerate green innovations, while decarbonization investments are likely to shift from private funds to government subsidies.
Just when port authorities had found a governance model as a “Green Deal maker” to include companies in the energy transition, sand was thrown into the proverbial engine of the economy. For quite some time, the national government looked away from the sense of urgency felt in the port of Rotterdam and imposed unrealistic energy taxes on companies in this industry. Only after a joint call to action by the Municipality and Port of Rotterdam in July 2025, national politicians realized that things needed to change quickly to stop petro-chemical companies from closing shop in Rotterdam – a decision that is mostly made in boardrooms at headquarters overseas. Indeed, crucial political choices must be made, but there is a sense of fatalism in the rhetoric of politicians and lobbying parties, fostering anxiety rather than hope and forward-thinking.
For these reasons, I posit that the port of Rotterdam’s energy transition as an ambitious, future-oriented Green Port imaginary has failed in mobilizing a ‘coalition of the willing’. Consequently, the port risks losing an important target group: the new generation. The influx of young talent into the port and shipping has been declining for years. I attribute this to the lack of a truly positive story. Being attractive does not only mean offering a job with a good starting salary. The motivation for young people to build a maritime career is also purpose driven. Doing good and personal growth is what matters.The way these people are putting their knowledge and skills to work will determine the future economy.
Thus, for me the question remains: how to foster positive change for the Dutch economy and Europe.The Paris Agreement provided this hopeful and purposeful ambition with an undeniable motive: climate change is unstoppable. The oceans have never been as warm and are continuously expanding. With the melting of land ice, the real sea level rise is yet to come. Seas acidify because they absorb such large amounts of carbon dioxide. Native flora and fauna cannot adapt quickly enough to the new climatic circumstances, while invasive species thrive in unexpected places. The fact that the ocean ecosystem has reached an irreversible tipping point, should result in climate neutrality being the ultimate objective for Europe, rather than a condition for growth. I believe there is another way for the Dutch port economy to reconcile these objectives.
In my dissertation, I argue that ports can develop into 'stewards' of their ecosystem, and form a cluster of mutually reinforcing entities working in symbiosis with the natural environment. As stewards, port authorities ensure that ecological, cultural and natural values are kept in balance to ensure that the extraction of resources allows the ecosystem to recover. As such port authorities do not have to harm the ecosystem, but they can preserve and protect it by securing its resources for future generations.
Who are alternative and inspirational role models for port policy makers? David Attenborough and the recently deceased Jane Goodall are seen as superheroes by people of all ages. Their influence stems not only from their wisdom gained through experience: They have witnessed the immense destruction of nature over the course of their long and active lives. Instead of succumbing to despair, they never stopped spreading a message of hope for regeneration.
Hope is powerful. It activates and mobilizes young people, helping them discover their own motivation to do good. Jane Goodall's 'Roots and Shoots' movement is a shining example – an initiative that anyone can adopt on a small scale within their own community. Similar initiatives such as the Ocean Film Tour and organizations such as Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd play vital roles as stewards. Their tactics are sometimes confrontational but not violent. Rather, they are responding to the reckless and ruthless behavior of companies that exploit the sea’s scarce resources without regard for sustainability. Of course there are counterexamples such as Extinction Rebellion. Their sit-ins block vital infrastructure and can have a paralyzing effect, not only on traffic and transport, but also on the minds of young people. These actions risk turning the port into a battlefield, where ultimately, everyone loses.
Resilience begins with the realization that human nature can only exist by being part of the natural environment – not by rising above it. Nature has the ability to recover, provided we enable it to do so. In fact, aligning with nature – through regenerative business models and nature-based solutions to complex challenges – can be a powerful driver of innovation. Across the globe, hundreds, even thousands of companies are emerging, often focused on energy generation, food cultivation at sea, and new technologies for shipping that work in harmony with natural forces. At the heart of this ‘blue glue’ movement is ocean stewardship which is perceived as an opportunity for ports and port cities, presenting the next generation with a fundamentally different worldview (cf. also literature references below):
1. Nature is not something to be conquered, but to be part of, co-exist, and co-create with.
2. The planet does not exist for the economy. Rather, the economy exists because of the resources provided by natural ecosystems.
3. Technical ingenuity and craftsmanship are rooted in an understanding of nature and its interconnections.
4. Creativity is not merely a hobby, but a source of wonder and inspiration, crucial for innovations. It should be fostered across disciplines, and at all levels of education.
5. A humanistic perspective on the world brings back the human scale into the port. Without it, people will consider the port as an uncontrollable machine.
6. Scarcity of raw materials is not a threat, but a catalyst for a circular economy. This requires a paradigm shift in our industrial production system.
It is precisely within the complexity and unpredictability of these perceived issues that the seeds of innovation are found – always grounded in the well-being of people, animals, and the planet, and the know-how to live with and from our planet’s natural resources. Why, then, is today’s industrial policy focusing so heavily on retaining companies, and too little on the craftsmanship that connects these companies to Rotterdam and the Netherlands? The foundation for a sustainable future lies in investing in the know-how of the new generation. The closure, or relocation of factories need not be fatal for an economy. A prime example is the Eindhoven region – also known as the Dutch Brain port. While Philips once dominated the local economy, the continuous development of human craftsmanship (e.g. high tech electronics, and chip and chip machine manufacturing) has led to one of the most innovative and high-tech industries in the world. Countries like Finland and Estonia also thrive as advanced knowledge economies, despite their peripheral position in Europe and global trade. Their strength lies not in conservative industrial policy, but in excellent education and thoughtful innovation, drawing resilience from their proximity to neighboring Russia.
And so we return to the original question: is my argument about the positive story for the port outdated? I do not think so. There is no denying that a new era has begun. Looking back at the eighty years since the end of WWII, the port of Rotterdam has consistently benefited from the oil-based global economy. However, this new era is not defined by the current Realpolitik of world leaders who manipulate the international legal order. The real tipping point of our time is whether we can confront the limits to growth and stop the transgression of planetary boundaries. Earth Overshoot Day occurred as early as 24th of July last year, starkly illustrating the finite nature of our planet’s resources. The resulting scarcity is already – and will increasingly become – a breeding ground for conflict. Resolving such conflicts requires a multilateral framework of international law and order under the United Nations. Without it, the legal framework of the International Maritime Organization will become ineffective, making it impossible for ports and shipping to build consensus over any future transition. It will turn port development into a survival of the strongest, not the smartest. In Rotterdam, at the intersection of global and local forces, port actors are at a crossroad: aligning with power politics, or equipping themselves with craftsmanship, entrepreneurship, and innovation – grounded in collaboration, eco-inclusive principles, and regenerative values? It is understandable that governments temporarily shield healthy companies from harsh geopolitical winds. However, they must follow sustainable business models.The energy transition is a challenge that requires courage, boldness and learning from each phase of change.
Finding a new symbiosis between Rotterdam port with its surroundings and communities demands a critical look at where Rotterdam truly excels at. What is its unique value proposition? What binds people culturally? What is the true differentiator in terms of their know-how? These elements are often considered of less importance in discussions about industry policy. Looking back at Rotterdam region’s inherited human resources, its true DNA lies in shipping, dredging, and shipbuilding – not in oil refining. Major oil companies refine oil wherever it is cheapest, and with access to growth markets. The storage and transport of energy and raw materials is a natural strength of Rotterdam, thanks to its unique geographic position in Europe’s most industrialised river system. This favorable position is the inherited value driver of the Dutch.They live from and with the water. They build ships, construct hybrid storm surge barriers, and dredge land to water and vice versa – also in harmony with nature. They trade and transport goods across the world’s oceans and inland waterways.They are deeply rooted in a tradition of fishermen and farmers of the sea. This is where opportunities for the blue economy lie. Generations have lived off the wind, for generating energy for households, industry, and shipping. This has already led to countless groundbreaking innovations and continues to do so. Entrepreneurial hotspots such as the Rotterdam Makers District and Campus@Sea in Scheveningen set the course. A talent strategy is therefore indispensable for a future-oriented resilient port economy.
Instead of being dragged into a battlefield of conflicts, the port as a living ecosystem is a more engaging and empowering imaginary. A port developer acting as an ecosystem steward takes responsibility for the resilience of the ecosystem, based on adaptive and collaborative capabilities, and working from a broader system embedded in a combination of economic, ecological, and societal values. To foster both community innovation and resilience, equipping people with the right vocational, entrepreneurial knowledge and skills will work as a regenerational force for the future.
Acknowledgements
This essay was originally written in Dutch, then translated into English and updated up until 8 January 2026. Special thanks goes out to Eliane Schmid for her review and work as part of the PortCityFutures editorial team.
This blog post presents a reflection written one year after completion of the author’s PhD dissertation (16 January 2025). It has been written in the context of discussions in the LDE PortCityFutures research community. It reflects the evolving thoughts of the authors and expresses the discussions between researchers on the socio-economic, spatial and cultural questions surrounding port city relationships.
Inspiring references for positive change
AIVP (2024), ‘Ocean Decade Conference 2024’, AIVP takes part in the Ocean Decade Conference - AIVP
Campus@Sea; Campus@Sea - campusatsea.nl
Earth Overshoot Day 2025: What Is It and Why Is It Important?
Hawken, P. (2022), ‘Regeneration’; Regeneration, Paul Hawken | Boeken - Lemniscaat
Jansen, M. (2025), ‘Ports as a force for positive change’, PhD Dissertation Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Ocean Film Festival World Tour; Home - Ocean Film Festival World Tour
Ocean with David Attenborough; https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33022710/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
One Planet Port; One Planet Port | Sustainable Rotterdam Port Development & Pollution Monitoring
Rotterdam School of Management (2026), ‘Our intellectual culture of Positive Change’
Rotterdam Makers District; rotterdammakersdistrict.com
The Ocean Opportunity Lab; Tool - The Ocean Opportunity Lab
Van Tulder, R., & van Mil, E. (2023). Principles of Sustainable Business: Frameworks for Corporate Action on the SDGs. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003098355