Flashback to TOC 2014

TOC Europe, the continent's largest exhibition of port, terminal, shipping line and 3PLs technology, wraps up in Rotterdam today after opening on Tuesday.

The exhibition is hosting more than 160 companies from around the world including Kalmar, Hyster and Sick.

According to organisers, this year's event has "a renewed focus on supply chain".
"The port is firmly established as the critical link within the container supply chain.

Any bottlenecks or delays that happen at the quayside or port hinterland dramatically affect the time it takes for cargo to arrive at its destination," officials add.

"Ports therefore need to process cargo in a timely and cost-effective manner, using the latest technology on the market to do so."

This year marks the event's 40th anniversary and the gathering is being held against a backdrop of world container trade exceeding 150 million TEUs in 2014 and forecast to grow 6.5% over the next two years.

"With over 1 million TEU of new vessel capacity already due to be delivered in 2015, not counting further new-build activity, supply is still expected to outstrip demand. Most critically, ships of 8,000 TEU and above now account for 85% of the order book and ultra-large container vessels of 16,000-plus TEU are the fastest-growing sector," say event organisers. "This presents a fundamental challenge to established supply chain systems worldwide, not least as a result of the 'cascade effect' as ultra-large vessels displace large ships onto secondary and regional trades."

Dealing with the fallout from the unprecedented upscaling of ships both on major and secondary trade routes is a central theme of the Container Supply Chain (CSC) and TECH TOC conferences running during the show.