Rotterdam serves as a crucial center for trade, logistics, and innovation in the Netherlands. Rotterdam, which is home to over 674,000 people, has a thriving economy with an annual GDP of about EUR 45 billion. The city's most important asset is its sophisticated marine infrastructure ecosystem; the Port of Rotterdam, a key entry point connecting Europe to international markets, processes about 14 million TEU of containers and about 428 million tons of cargo annually. The port's operations contribute EUR 23.3 billion in gross value added (accounting for roughly 2.2% of the Netherlands' GDP) and generate 182,000 jobs. In the new era, Rotterdam is transforming into an icon of the future economy, focusing heavily on spearhead sectors such as hydrogen energy, renewable energy, digital technology, and the circular economy.
Former Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc (right) and Former Deputy Mayor of Rotterdam Enes Yigit sign a memorandum of understanding on climate change adaptation cooperation - Photo: Tuoi Tre Newspaper
Through adaptable infrastructure projects and catastrophe risk management, the two communities' collaborative accomplishments over the previous nearly 15 years have been widely acknowledged. By utilizing real-world experience from its own large-scale projects, like Porthos—the first offshore CO2 storage project in the European Union—and the SmartPort ecosystem at the Port of Rotterdam, which is a leader in digital transformation and automation in logistics, Rotterdam has assisted Ho Chi Minh City in developing comprehensive flood management strategies. In addition to optimizing current infrastructure systems, Rotterdam's experts' support has developed the city's vision for a sustainable metropolis ready to face the challenges posed by climate change.
The two localities are aggressively promoting collaboration and creating broad strategic alliances in five crucial sectors during this new phase, which is in line with Ho Chi Minh City's extended sustainable development space:
1. Seaport Infrastructure and Smart Logistics: Optimizing international maritime transport systems, transferring digital port management solutions (SmartPort), and enhancing the capacity of global logistics supply chains.
2. Adaptive Urban Management: Collaborating on the implementation of flood governance solutions and sustainable urban spatial planning integrated with water resource management.
3. Clean Energy and Green Transition: Attracting technologies from Rotterdam in renewable energy production, hydrogen infrastructure development, and large-scale carbon capture and storage projects.
4. Circular Economy and Digital Technology: Applying circular economy models, driving digitalization in urban operations, and fostering the innovation ecosystem for tech enterprises.
5. High-Quality Human Resource Training: Expanding the scale of educational linkages and training professionals in maritime sectors, urban engineering, and environmental governance according to international standards.