How can we transform former industrial and port areas, develop an innovative economy, and at the same time create attractive places to live? How can we reconcile the current needs of businesses and residents with the long-term goals of energy and environmental transition? Participants in a study tour to the Netherlands, organized by the Mining Chamber of Industry and Commerce as part of the Regional Observatory of the Transformation Process 2.0 (ROPT 2.0) project, sought answers to these questions.
The trip took place July 6–9, 2026, and included visits to Delft, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and The Hague. Its main objective was to learn about the mechanisms supporting the economic and spatial transformation of the Randstad region, as well as to create opportunities for the exchange of experiences among representatives of public administration, academia, and the business community.
Randstad – a region that evolves alongside the economy
Randstad is the most densely populated and one of the most economically important regions in the Netherlands. Like many other European regions, it faces the need to transition toward a more sustainable development model. Particular challenges arise in the region’s port and industrial areas, where energy-intensive facilities, logistics infrastructure, and fossil fuel-related activities have been concentrated for years.
For this reason, the visit’s itinerary was not limited to presentations of individual projects. Participants explored entire areas at various stages of transformation—from still-operational port and industrial zones, through neighborhoods being transformed into innovation hubs, to former manufacturing zones that have taken on new residential, business, and cultural functions.
Delft: Collaboration Between Academia, Business, and Government
The first item on the agenda was the opening meeting at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). The participants were welcomed by Prof. Peter Pelzer, head of the Spatial Planning and Strategy Section at the Department of Urban Planning.
Dr. Verena Elisabeth Balz presented the context of the sustainable development transition in the Netherlands and the objectives of the entire study visit. Another important part of the meeting was a presentation on the Delft Innovation District. Paul Althuis, director of the IDD program, discussed a model of collaboration between businesses, universities, and public administration aimed at creating conditions for the growth of innovative companies and the implementation of new technologies.
The Delft Innovation District demonstrated that effectively supporting innovation requires not only the right infrastructure but also sustainable relationships between business, academia, and the public sector. It is precisely this collaboration among these communities that enables the transformation of knowledge and research findings into solutions that address the real needs of the economy.
Rotterdam: From an Industrial Past to the Economy of the Future
The second day of the visit was devoted to Rotterdam and its surrounding area. The first area visited was the Rotterdam Makers District, which includes M4H (Merwe-Vierhavens) and the RDM Campus.
Both locations are examples of the transformation of former port and industrial areas into a modern ecosystem of entrepreneurship, education, research, and innovative manufacturing. The Rotterdam Makers District is home to growing technology companies, startups, and ventures collaborating with scientific institutions. At the same time, the area is set to gradually gain new residential, service, cultural, and recreational functions.
Participants met with representatives of the city of Rotterdam, learned about the M4H development plan, and then traveled by water to the RDM Campus, located on the site of the historic Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij shipyard. The tour demonstrated how preserving industrial heritage can go hand in hand with creating spaces for modern technologies, entrepreneurs, and educational institutions.
The next item on the agenda was a tour of the most important areas of the Port of Rotterdam. The route took participants through, among other places, Europoort—one of the largest logistics and energy complexes in Europe—and Maasvlakte 2, the port’s most modern section, created as a result of large-scale land reclamation.
Participants were able to see automated container terminals and the scale of the port’s infrastructure, as well as the environmental solutions implemented in connection with the port’s expansion. An important element of the Maasvlakte 2 project was the creation of ecological zones to compensate for the loss of natural habitats.
This part of the visit was rounded out by Portlantis—the Port of Rotterdam’s educational center. A multimedia exhibition provided an overview of the port’s history, its importance to the economy and the labor market, as well as the impact of industrial and transportation activities on the environment and the surrounding community. Participants also learned about the port’s vision for the future, which takes into account technological, energy, and economic changes.
New Uses for Brownfield Sites
Rotterdam also provided an opportunity to examine the transformation of urban space. During a study walk through the Kop van Zuid and Katendrecht neighborhoods, participants saw port areas that, since the late 1990s, have gradually become an integral part of the city center.
Former warehouses, port facilities, working-class neighborhoods, and other elements of the industrial landscape have been integrated there with modern architecture, residential functions, services, and public spaces. The example of Rotterdam demonstrated that revitalization does not have to mean erasing traces of the industrial past. These traces can become an important part of a place’s new identity and the foundation for its further development.
Amsterdam: The Transformation of Former Shipyard Sites
The third day of the visit took place in Amsterdam. The program began with a tour of the northern part of the city, including NDSM Werf, Buiksloterham, Overhoeks, and Hamerkwartier. These areas represent various models for the transformation of former port and industrial sites.
NDSM Werf, once associated with the shipbuilding industry, has been transformed in recent decades into one of Amsterdam’s most recognizable cultural venues. Buiksloterham, Overhoeks, and Hamerkwartier, in turn, demonstrate different approaches to creating new residential, business, and service districts while incorporating the principles of sustainable development.
The tour was led by Maurits de Hoog, a longtime urban planner for the city of Amsterdam who was responsible for the development of the city’s northern section from 1996 to 2020. The event was therefore not only an opportunity to view specific projects but also to discuss strategic planning for the metropolis’s development and ways to adapt post-industrial sites to new social and economic needs.
The program in Amsterdam also included a walk through the Green Light District in the city’s historic center. Participants learned about solutions related to the circular economy, green infrastructure, energy efficiency, and sustainable urban planning.
This example was particularly interesting due to the specific conditions of Amsterdam’s city center—dense, historic buildings, heavy traffic, and limited space. It demonstrated that the green transition is not limited to new neighborhoods but can also be implemented within the existing urban fabric.
The Hague: Common Challenges Facing Industrial Regions
On the final day, participants visited the headquarters of the South Holland Provincial Government in The Hague. The meeting focused on energy and economic transformation from a regional perspective.
South Holland, like Polish regions undergoing transformation, faces challenges stemming from the presence of large, energy-intensive industrial clusters. Discussions focused on how strategic regional and spatial planning can support the implementation of innovative projects while ensuring sustainable, resilient, and balanced development.
Representatives from regional administration, academia, and the business community discussed supporting innovation, advancing the energy transition, the circular economy, and ensuring adequate space for new investments and economic processes. Prof. Adam Drobniak, dean of the Faculty of Spatial Planning and Regions in Transition at the University of Economics in Katowice, presented the Polish perspective on the challenges facing regions undergoing transformation.
Transformation requires cooperation and long-term planning
The study visit to the Netherlands provided an opportunity to view transformation not as a single investment project, but as a long-term process encompassing the economy, energy, land-use planning, education, the labor market, and residents’ quality of life.
Examples from Delft, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and The Hague demonstrated the importance of integrating different perspectives. The government creates the framework for development and coordinates spatial planning efforts. Academia provides knowledge, research, and new technologies. Entrepreneurs translate innovations into specific products, services, and jobs. Residents, meanwhile, must be taken into account as users of changing cities and regions.
The experiences of the Randstad region do not constitute a ready-made solution that can be directly applied to the Silesian Voivodeship. However, they are a valuable source of knowledge and inspiration. They demonstrate that the success of the transformation depends on consistency, cooperation among various stakeholders, maintaining a balance between economic and environmental development, and the skillful utilization of the potential of areas with an industrial past.
The trip was one of the Chamber’s tasks as part of the project titled “Regional Observatory of the Transformation Process 2.0 (ROPT 2.0)” (Decision No. FESL.10.22-IP.02-083F/23 of the Silesian Voivodeship Executive Board), implemented under the “European Funds for Silesia 2021–2027” Program, Priority FESL.10 European Funds for Transformation, Measure FESL.10.22 Regional Observatory of the Transformation Process – FST, fully financed from the Just Transition Fund.
#EUFunds #EuropeanFunds #GIPH #transformation
Project partners:
- Marshal’s Office of the Silesian Voivodeship – Silesia. Positive Energy.
- Katowice University of Economics
- KADRA Trade Union Alliance
- Polish Miners’ Trade Union
- Central Mining Institute – State Research Institute
- Katowice Special Economic Zone S.A.
