News
The port authorities of Antwerp and Zeebrugge, two of Flanders' four seaports, have given the green light to start negotiations for a possible, phased, merger. This decision is based on the findings of a complementarity and robustness study carried out by the consultancy firms Deloitte and Laga.
The two port authorities have had constructive discussions about intensifying their current cooperation and synergies since the beginning of 2018. These discussions led to a joint economic complementarity and robustness study carried out by consultancy firms Deloitte and Laga.
The study evaluated the current forms of cooperation, the possible added value of all potential forms of cooperation, including an economically interesting merger and potential management scenarios.
The research concluded that current collaborations have limited impact because of the traditional competition between the two ports, a scope that's too limited, and a lack of commitment. However, the report also states that Antwerp and Zeebrugge are highly complementary and face the same challenges.
Both port authorities are willing to formally start negotiations in view of a possible (phased) merger. The entire process is expected to take around two years.
