Hamburg puts sustainability and digitalisation to the fore

The vision clearly describes the changing environment and discusses the initiatives to succeed in this new environment, with a strong focus on sustainability and digitalisation. This approach clearly is the ‘new normal’ in the ports industry. The following five observations are especially noteworthy:

First, while other ports have also indicated that they are shifting away from a ‘volume focus’, in which the tons handled are central to a port’s success, Hamburg probably does so in the most explicit way. Most news items the German and international press published at the launch of the vision focus on this point. The vision document does not present scenarios for the evolution of volumes or an assessment of additional capacity needs. Mostly implicitly, the vision suggests Hamburg can cater for eventual growth of demand for cargo handling through improving productivity of existing facilities and assets.

Second, the vision emphasises Hamburg’s strength and growth potential as a port industrial-logistics ecosystem, with opportunities for attracting new activities in energy production, circular manufacturing and maritime technology. The vision also suggests that the port authority (HPA) aims to take new steps in ‘designing’ this ecosystem, for instance through maximising the use of rail and barge by companies located in the port and by promoting intensive land use.

Third, the vision shows Hamburg aims to benefit from growth opportunities in the cruise segment. This contrasts with other attractive port-cities like Amsterdam, Valencia and Barcelona, that explicitly or implicitly take an approach focused on improving the sustainability (in the ecological as well as social perspective) rather than the growth of cruise tourism.

Fourth -though this was not a recent decision- the ‘Hafencity’ redevelopment of older port areas will cross the river Elbe with the development of the Grasbrook Neighborhood. As initially with the development of Hafencity, sceptics may rightly point out the increasing pressure this puts on the adjacent port activities, but this redevelopment undoubtedly creates value for residents and visitors alike.

Fifth, perhaps the best way to understand how we look at the future is through looking at past vision documents. In 2012 Hamburg published its plan for 2025. Then, it handled more than 130 million tons (compared to 120 in 2022) and forecast a volume of 296 million ton in 2025. Even without volume growth Hamburg remained a thriving port industrial-logistics ecosystem. Many of the actions included in the 2012 vision relate to IT and sustainability and have borne fruit 10 years later. Totally absent in 2012 but prominent in the latest vision: efforts to secure the availability of well-trained labour. Indeed, it may well be labour which will be most radically transformed 15 years from now.