In short
Goods transport and logistics, especially the port and shipping sector, have my special attention. This goes so far that I deliberately bought a house by the water to look out on this sector. I work on issues related to modal shift to sustainable transport modes such as inland and short sea shipping, rail freight and pipelines. I advise on investments in new infrastructure and superstructure for these modalities, both when it comes to technical details such as the clearance height of bridges and the capacity of locks and (inland) terminals, and on the financial and social returns of such projects.
But the sustainability, digitalisation and labour market of the port and shipping sector also have my special attention, and I regularly do projects in those areas. Electrification, hydrogen or biofuels, it all comes along. For instance, I advised the European Commission on the new directive for professional qualifications in inland navigation and on River Information Services, the digital information for the sector.
In such projects, I ensure a creative, data-driven approach and the connection with practice. Like no other, I know how to retrieve data to provide fundamental support for strategic choices. This way, I ensure that the insights we deliver are in line with customer demand and that we can take the transport sector a step further in fulfilling social and economic challenges.
Besides shipping, I also have a passion for football. There is literally and figuratively no great footballer lost to me, but as an independent KNVB referee, I try to contribute to the enjoyment of amateur footballers every week.