On 9 June 2015, the Rotterdam alderman for employment and economy, Maarten Struijvenberg, received a study report on competitiveness from students of the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM). The Rotterdam Chapter of AmCham had commissioned the study consistent with its focus on improvement of industry competitiveness. In his response, the alderman highlighted the importance of competitiveness and thanked AmCham and the RSM for stimulating attention to the topic.
In 2014, RSM students had studied the impact of the increasing regulatory pressure on competitiveness, and concluded that any further increase could be the 'tipping point' for industry. This year, students focused on how companies and stakeholders could cooperate to meet regulatory requirements and ambitions, and reduce compliance cost.
The study identified enablers as mutual trust, information exchange and regulatory flexibility. Barriers identified included uncertainty, permitting requirements and anti-trust regulation. A recent hydrogen plant project from Air Products and ExxonMobil was showcased. With this project, the two companies significantly increased energy efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions. The Rotterdam waste heat project was positioned as a key opportunity as well as a significant challenge for all stakeholders involved.
The hand-over of the report took place at a seminar where the study findings were discussed with AmCham members, trade associations and authorities. To read the full report, click here.