MAGPIE Opens Public Exhibition at Portlantis Showcasing the Future of Smart and Sustainable Ports
- Apr 20
- 2 min read
The European MAGPIE project has officially opened a new public exhibition at Portlantis, the interactive experience centre located in the Port of Rotterdam. The exhibition provides visitors with a unique opportunity to explore how ports can accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable, digital, and resilient future.
The exhibition presents a selection of MAGPIE’s most tangible and forward-looking innovations, developed in collaboration with partners from across Europe. Through real-life objects, scale models, and technologies such as augmented reality, visitors can gain insight into developments in cleaner fuels, smarter logistics, advanced digital tools, and low-emission transport solutions. Featured innovations include an offshore charging system, a hybrid shunting locomotive, and automated truck charging infrastructure.
Europe is currently facing significant challenges related to the energy transition, climate objectives, industrial competitiveness, and strategic resilience. In this context, ports are increasingly becoming key environments where innovation is transformed from concept into real-world application. The MAGPIE project was established to support this transformation. Coordinated by the Port of Rotterdam and co-funded by the European Union, the initiative brings together 45 partners working to develop and demonstrate practical solutions for greener and smarter ports.
The opening of the exhibition at Portlantis represents an important milestone for the project. It creates a space where the general public, students, professionals, and policymakers can directly engage with innovations being tested and implemented in real port environments.
Berte Simons, Chief Operating Officer of the Port of Rotterdam, highlighted the importance of the initiative, noting that the logistics industry is undergoing one of its most significant transformations in decades. She emphasized that the port, together with its MAGPIE partners, is playing a leading role in turning innovative concepts into practical, tangible solutions that can be shared with a wider audience.
The Portlantis exhibition is part of MAGPIE’s broader efforts to share project results, strengthen collaboration between European ports, and raise public awareness of the role ports play in building a climate-neutral and future-proof Europe. By presenting innovations in an accessible public setting, the project aims not only to demonstrate progress but also to inspire further cooperation, investment, and follow-up action across the continent.
About MAGPIE
MAGPIE (sMArt Green Ports as Integrated Efficient multimodal hubs) is a European innovation project focused on accelerating the transition to climate-neutral ports. Coordinated by the Port of Rotterdam and co-funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 programme, the project brings together 45 partners to develop, test, and scale innovations in clean energy, digitalisation, and sustainable logistics.
Image source: portofrotterdam.com
