World Port Days 2024: Europe in Rotterdam!
- 06 Nov 2024
An Unmissable Experience
The World Port Days, held in the first weekend of September, is an annual spectacle that showcases the Rotterdam port. This free entrance event attracts thousands of visitors each year, featuring a diverse programme of that includes ship exhibitions, a tour of the harbour, water shows, grand fireworks show on Saturday night as well as a career fair for the port industry. The event regularly welcomes over 400,000 visitors.
The European Pavilion: A Window on Europe
The World Port Days represented a key stage to present the variety of port-related matters on which the European Union is a key actor. Located on the Holland Amerikakade, at the foot of the Erasmus Bridge, the pavilion caught the visitors’ attention with its sheer size: spanning an impressive 5 by 30 meters. The EU’s presence at the festival is the fruit of the cooperation between the European Commission Representation in the Netherlands, Kansen voor West and other EU partners such as JRC, Europol and Eurojust.
The main objective of the pavilion was to offer a glimpse into European initiatives that are important not only for the Port of Rotterdam but also for the broader region and other parts of the country. Visitors could take their pick among many highlights of European cooperation, namely Circular Economy: the former including contributions from Phoenixmetals and CRC that showcased innovative techniques for metal reuse and sustainable waste processing, demonstrating the circular economy’s potential to support a sustainable future.
In the same vein a Repair Workshop in partnership with Techniek Nederland taught visitors to repair devices themselves, showing in practical terms how to contribute to the circular economy and reduce electronic waste.Examples of European Cooperation did not end there, as the diverse array of the EU’s areas of intervention included a presentation on groundbreaking solutions for renewable energy, namely on sustainable hydrogen with Battolyser and energy efficiency projects with Dlta21.
Zero Emission Services and FuelFWD introduced the latest technological advancements in the field of digitalization, presenting innovations consistent with the efforts to support the energy transition and to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
The energy transition also informed discussions about Skills and Employment, in which the European Commission Joint Research Centre and the Human Capital Coalition for Energy Transition focused on how the EU invests in employment and education to create green jobs and to future proof the job-market in the face of the transition.
Finally, Eurojust and Europol were present to broach the matter of safety, particularly relevant in the harbour setting, and an ideal backdrop to explain how European cooperation helps in combating organized crime and enhancing regional security. Their presence underscored the importance of joint efforts in law enforcement.
Speaking about the European Pavilion, the Head of the European Commission Representation in the Netherlands, Klasja van de Ridder stated: "I hope we will surprise people who may not often think about Europe or who might have a negative view of our work. We want to show that Europe is close and relevant to themes that are important to visitors. By working together, we can tackle the major challenges of our time."
Looking Ahead: The Future of Europe
The the European Pavilion during the World Port Days 2024 succeeded in illustrating the European Union’s ambitious goals for the future and the many matters on which initiative at European level bring about an added value for Dutch citizens. Ruud van Raak, Programme Manager at Kansen voor West echoes this sentiment when he says: "The World Port Days offer us a unique opportunity to directly convey the value of European funds for innovation and regional development. The pavilion is a powerful tool for sharing our message in an informative and inspiring way." And the European Pavillion has proven its value as a platform to provide information to the general public as well as a basis for valuable interaction with citizens in the Netherlands. The format attracted an estimated 20 thousands people stopping by the pavilion.
This turnout and engagement demonstrate the added value of communicating the work of the European Union directly to citizens by bringing concrete examples of the EU’s commitment to issues that are closely perceived by citizens, especially in settings that attract diverse crowds. The experience of the European Pavilion could illustrated the impact of the EU but it also represented an opportunity to engage with European initiatives in a lively and entertaining manner.
More information
Videos:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7238635135514943489/
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7239524346573070336/
Photos:
https://kvw3.kansenvoorwest.nl/nieuws/havendagen-rotterdam-2024/
Websites:
https://wereldhavendagen.nl/event/europa-paviljoen/#event-map