Hyster’s fuel cell ReachStacker, part of the H2Ports project.
Kaleris provides software solutions to ports and has built long-term relationships with customers in Europe. “The European region is critical to Kaleris’ success as it serves as a hub for many of our long-standing terminal, shipping line, and ship operator customers,” says Ben Flanagan, EMEA sales manager at Kaleris. “These partnerships, cultivated over decades, have resulted in several joint innovations that have become industry best practices and standards. “Europe consistently acts as a driver of innovation in terminal operating technology, with customers who are progressive and eager to adopt cutting-edge solutions. This proactive adoption accelerates technological advancement, making Europe an essential market not only for ongoing collaboration but for our business growth and leadership in the global industry.”
Dynamic region The region’s unique characteristics can require a more tailored approach. “There is an old saying that once you have seen one, you’ve seen them all. That is not true of ports,” says Devon Van de Kletersteeg, product growth manager at CM Labs. “When you’ve seen one port, you’ve only seen one port! They are all a little bit different. In many ways European ports are some of the most dynamic in the world.”
Canada-based CM Labs is gaining ground in
Europe as more port operators adopt its crane simulators and associated training packages. “Europe has almost all of the big OEMs in the ports market; all the major manufacturers and component providers are here,” adds Van de Kletersteeg. “So, being present in the market is very important to us. We have had relationships in the past and have some right now with
OEMS which have opened our eyes to the way their products are designed and how they work.” The company has recently partnered with German manufacturer Spohn + Burkhardt – you can read more about this in our TOC Europe show preview. Meanwhile, Kalmar is seeing growth
across the board. “The growth and positive business sentiment in Europe are coming from all segments,” says Geber-Teir. “It’s not limited to ports only, but rather we have seen high activity in all four customer segments in Europe.
“Additionally, our strong service footprint has been performing well in Europe. A highlight is the mix between equipment and service sales, reflecting the broad demand across all four segments. We are pleased with the diversity of our customer segments, which supports stable and resilient growth.” Part of this is down to continually reinvesting for the future. Kalmar puts considerable effort into electrification, digitalisation and automation to support the future needs of its customers, says Geber-Teir. It also actively pursues R&D to align with one of the key trends across all its market segments – developing more sustainable and efficient products with improved total cost of ownership. “In addition to developing next generation
products and services, Kalmar is actively following the industry and technology trends to identify, verify and test new technologies in order to be ready on time to implement such in the future offering,” says Geber-Teir.
Optimising space Another characteristic common to European ports is a lack of space for expansion. “Land, regulation and infrastructure constraints make
new terminal builds in Europe an increase rarity,” says Flanagan. “We work primarily with existing sites to further optimise their operations without having to expand their current footprint.” An example is the Port of Helsinborg in Sweden. After implementing the Kaleris N4 terminal operating system (TOS), the port increased yard capacity by 30% and reduced rehandles by 50%. “We also partner with terminals on their digitalisation journey,” adds Flanagan. “Depending on the type of operation, terminals may find themselves with a mix of solutions in play.”
A case in point was Rhenus Cuxport in Germany. As a multipurpose terminal, multiple legacy operating systems were in use simultaneously to handle different types of cargo. With Kaleris, all terminal operations are united in one system thanks to the implementation of its Mixed Cargo TOS. Now, breakbulk and container management workflows are centralised in one scalable and flexible solution that can be configured as the terminal needs it, managing complex handling workflows and billing requirements. Another is APM Terminals Maasvlakte II, the world’s first fully automated terminal. They successfully went live with N4 4.0 from Kaleris in February 2025. “With this upgrade, the terminal laid the foundation to integrate new Automated Terminal Trucks (ATTs) and take further steps towards automating its rail terminal,” says Flanagan. “They noted this was a crucial step in their expansion journey, enabling them to double their terminal capacity.” Hyster notes that container shipping
overcapacity is also pinching both margins and space for ports and terminals. Figures from the EU indicate that the number of vessels calling
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