From portacabin to powerhouse: 20 years of facilitating trade in Europe

Twenty years ago, Antwerp Gateway opened its gates with a bold ambition: to strengthen Europe’s role in global trade. Fast forward to today, and I’m incredibly proud of what this team – and this terminal – have become. With our annual capacity growing from 70,000 TEUs in year one to 2.8 million in 2025, and a projected 3.7 million in 2026, we’ve gone from a modest start-up to one of Europe’s most advanced and sustainable terminals. But beyond the numbers, this story is about people, persistence and progress.

The Benelux has quietly become one of Europe’s most industrial and trade-driven regions – and that matters. With major automotive, pharma, chemical and logistics clusters surrounding its ports, this region is where global goods meet European industry. Today, businesses are rethinking how and where they move products. Regional trade routes are gaining ground, sourcing is diversifying, and supply chains are shifting closer to end markets. In this new phase of global trade, the Benelux is not just at the crossroads, it’s becoming the control tower. And we’re right at the centre of it.

The numbers tell that story. In 2024, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges achieved an 8.1% year-on-year growth in container throughput, reaching 13.5 million TEUs, while Rotterdam grew only 2.8% and Hamburg 0.9%. With the average growth for the top 15 European container ports at 5.9%, Antwerp-Bruges significantly outpaced many larger European competitors. To give you an idea of how significant this growth is, global container traffic in 2024 was around 3-4%, according to industry reports.  

Handling over 2.4 million TEUs a year,  the port has become a key hub for rerouted Asia–Europe trade. Antwerp Gateway has been both a driver and a beneficiary of that growth: a terminal engineered to absorb shocks, handle bigger vessels and keep cargo moving when global systems are under strain.

Built for the long haul 

What was born out of a need to create capacity and build infrastructure to accommodate the growing world trade, twenty years on Antwerp Gateway still serves that original purpose. As Europe faces the worst port congestion since the pandemic, resilient terminals have become critical to keeping supply chains moving.  

Our growth at Antwerp Gateway has been anything but accidental – since 2005, we have invested more than €680 million into this terminal. Not just in steel and systems, but in staying ahead – whether through automation, hybrid straddle carriers, or smart crane operations. We're now running 23 automated stacking crane modules, 27 by next year, and our ability to flex and absorb disruption is one of the reasons why we’re a go-to terminal in times of pressure.  

A logistics engine for Europe’s industrial heartland

I believe it isn’t just the throughput of Antwerp that makes it truly strategic, but its connectivity and the industries it serves. Because how do you keep Europe’s most complex supply chains running smoothly across sectors as diverse as chemicals, automotive, pharma and agri-food? In the Benelux, we do it by connecting dense industrial clusters with fast, multimodal trade routes. With direct access to rail, road and barge, we’re helping customers cut transit times, lower costs and meet tighter delivery cycles – even as supply chains shift and pressure intensifies.  

These are supply chains that can’t afford surprises. Our job is to give them confidence.  

Engineering sustainability from the ground up 

Sustainability has moved from ‘nice to have’ to regulatory and commercial necessity. Under the EU Green Deal, freight emissions are under the spotlight, and terminals like ours are being called to lead.

We have spent two decades preparing for this reality: at Antwerp Gateway, we now move over a third of all containers by barge or rail – taking nearly 190,000 trucks off the road each year. We’ve also slashed our CO₂ emissions per container by nearly 50% over the past decade. In the Benelux, dense infrastructure and high trade flows make low-emission logistics a competitive must. And it’s exactly where we are doubling down: building smarter, cleaner infrastructure to serve both our customers’ and our own decarbonisation goals.

For our customers, this combination of lower terminal emissions, strong intermodal links and readiness for new fuel standards means one thing: Antwerp Gateway is already helping them decarbonise while keeping their business competitive.  

Powered by people, led by purpose 

None of this progress would be possible without our team. At a time when many ports and logistics providers across Europe are grappling with acute labour and skills shortages, our long-term investment in talent has become a key competitive advantage. The terminal now employs over 800 people in roles spanning automation, engineering and digital operations. Many have been with us since day one, an enduring testament to the strength of our culture.

From automation specialists to data-led planners, we’ve pioneered new roles while forging long-term academic partnerships in Antwerp to nurture the next generation of talent.

Our story is one of transformation, but also of continuity rooted in purpose. Antwerp Gateway was created not only to move containers, but to strengthen the economic fabric of the region and support Europe’s role in global trade. Today, roughly 1 in 8 of the original 2005 workforce are still part of that story.

What’s next: building the terminal of the future 

By 2026, we’ll complete our €230 million expansion at Antwerp Gateway, increasing capacity to 3.7 million TEUs and introducing a fully upgraded automated stacking crane (ASC) system powered by AI and digital twin technology. For our customers, that means more reliability, faster turnaround times, and real-time visibility on every move. But this is about more than extra slots and steel: it’s about building a terminal that can keep Europe’s trade flowing in a world of higher volatility, stricter climate regulation and more complex supply chains. Our 20th year in operation isn’t just a milestone; it’s a moment to reflect on the legacy we’re proud of and the future we’re building every day.