The netherlands:
In the maritime heart of europe
For tourists The Netherlands are famous for its windmills and tulip fields. 
For business people, The Netherlands are particularly famous for its maritime cluster and maritime related activities. In total more than 3 million people work directly in the European Maritime sector and generate a turnover of about € 200 billion with a value added totalling about € 90 billion representing more than 1% of the EU’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The Dutch Maritime Cluster
The Dutch Maritime Cluster has been extensively researched and its structure is schematically shown in the diagram. Here, eleven sectors are distinguished. In most of the sectors Dutch companies hold a very strong international position, for example in dredging, inland shipping, marine equipment, offshore and yachting. The 12,000 companies employ directly 190,000 persons with a turnover of € 25 billion and value added of € 13 billion in 2002 (Wijnolst, 2006).
Ports and Offshore are the largest sectors, while the other sectors, with the exception of fisheries, are almost equal in size. Dutch ship owners are world leading in many shipping segments.
Participants of the Master Shipping and Transport program will benefit from this expertise through guest lecturers from leading industries and indirectly through excursions and other informal gatherings, seminars and via a Master Thesis project.
Nowhere in the world there are so many world leading maritime companies and such a complete and dense network of maritime know-how and knowledge within such a small geographical region.
Therefore the Netherlands is often called “Maritime Valley” of Europe.
Port of Rotterdam 
Although The Netherlands is a relatively small country, it is home to Europe’s main transport gateways: Port of Rotterdam and Schiphol Airport and one of the world’s most prosperous countries. Its geographical position in the river delta of North-Western Europe have been one of The Netherlands’ most distinguishing unique selling points. No wonder that The Dutch have a long maritime history and are world famous for waterworks and logistics. The strategic location within Europe, the open and fast connection with the sea, the very deep access channel and the perfect hinterland connections: these are just some of the main strengths of the port of Rotterdam. Together with the high quality of services available there, they form the basis of the port of Rotterdam’s success being Europe’s largest mainport.
The Netherlands is a maritime centre in itself, but Rotterdam is the maritime metropolis given the position as the second largest port of the world.
Most of the leading maritime companies can be found in and around the city of Rotterdam. Rotterdam was founded more than 750 years ago and has been involved in trade and shipping for many centuries. Rotterdam is Europe’s largest logistic and industrial hub. The port is the gateway to a European market of 450 million consumers. More than 500 scheduled services link Rotterdam with over 1000 ports worldwide. Throughput in 2006 amounted to 376 million tonnes.
The port of Rotterdam is situated directly at the North Sea. The very largest ocean-going vessels have unrestricted access around the clock, seven days a week. The port has a depth of 24 metres (75 feet) and Rotterdam has no locks. The many maritime service providers guarantee rapid turnaround times.
The port and industrial area stretches over a length of 40 kilometres and covers 10,000 hectares. Companies can find all imaginable facilities here for cargo handling, distribution and industry. A lot of auxiliary services are also on hand. Rotterdam is, for example, Europe’s cheapest bunker port. Due to the size of the operations, the port offers significant advantages of scale.
The European market is easily accessible from Rotterdam via five competing modalities: road, rail, inland shipping, coastal shipping and pipeline. One of the main advantages of Rotterdam is its location on the estuary of the rivers Rhine and Meuse providing direct waterway access deep into the heart of Europe.
The port of Rotterdam is investing heavily to expand and improve its service.
The most high-profile project is the construction of Maasvlakte 2, a new port and industrial zone in the North Sea, providing 1000 hectares of industrial sites with direct access to deep waters.
Knowledge institutions such as the Erasmus University, the Netherlands Maritime University and Shipping and Transport College are important drivers for innovation in the port of Rotterdam. Education and training of students and professionals provide a highly skilled and service oriented workforce. From the early days of port expansion, STC-Group has been engaged in providing well-educated and professionally trained people to the maritime cluster.