International Car Operators

What International Car Operators does

International Car Operators (ICO) is a Belgian-headquartered RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) terminal operator and finished-vehicle logistics provider, wholly owned by Japanese shipping group Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK). The company operates four terminals — Northern Inlet (78 ha) and Southern Inlet (155 ha) in Zeebrugge, and Vrasene (125 ha) in Antwerp — with a fourth Barcelona facility scheduled to open in 2027, collectively spanning roughly 375 hectares and processing more than 2.4 million vehicles and 2,500 vessels per year. Its service portfolio spans Ship Handling (loading/unloading RoRo vessels 24/7 with ~500 trained dockers), Terminal Handling (storage with automated E-gate truck processing and rail handling), Vehicle Processing Centers (PDI, dewaxing, accessories, repair, underbody protection), Breakbulk & Projects (heavy lifts, construction machinery, mining equipment), and Agency & Logistics (customs clearance, forwarding across sea/barge/road/rail/multimodal, maritime agency).

Operations are managed through a proprietary in-house Terminal Operating System (TOS), supplemented by digital simulation tools, automatic vehicle scanning (Barcelona), and E-gate automation, providing planning, execution, and tracking across the terminal footprint. The company generates revenue on a transaction-fee basis for terminal handling, vehicle processing, and breakbulk, plus professional-services fees for agency/logistics, with pricing negotiated per-project under multi-year enterprise contracts with car manufacturers and RoRo shipping lines. Customers are concentrated in two primary verticals — automotive OEMs and deepsea/shortsea RoRo carriers — served via direct enterprise sales motions across a network connecting to 191 ports worldwide. ICO also co-owns ICO Windpark NV (11 turbines, 44 MW, 110 GWh/year) in a JV with Portfineco (Port of Zeebrugge) and ENGIE, supplying effectively carbon-neutral power to the Zeebrugge terminal and the largest EV charging park in the Benelux.

Name

International Car Operators

Legal name

International Car Operators

Website

https://icoterminals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Car Operators is a Belgian RoRo terminal operator and finished-vehicle logistics provider, wholly owned by NYK, handling over 2.4 million cars and 2,500 vessels per year across terminals in Zeebrugge, Antwerp, and Barcelona (2027).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Port Terminal Logistics

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Ro-Ro Terminal Operations (Berth, Yard & Vessel Loading/Discharge) (TLAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Automotive Storage & Yard Management (Compound Operations, Inventory Control) (TLAHACAC), Lashing, Securing & Cargo Care Services (Vehicles, Machinery, Breakbulk on Ro-Ro) (TLAHACAK)

Keywords

• RoRo terminal operations
• Vehicle processing services
• Ship handling logistics
• Port terminal management
• Automotive logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Kortrijk

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Terminal Handling Services: Core revenue from loading and unloading vehicles and other rolling goods on sea ships and storage on terminal. Services include deepsea, shortsea, barge and rail connections.
2. Vehicle Processing Services: Pre-delivery inspection (PDI), carwash, dewaxing, accessories installation, repair services, and underbody protection in dedicated Vehicle Processing Centers
3. Agency & Logistics: Shipping agency services, customs declaration, forwarding services for sea, barge, road, rail and multimodal transport
4. Breakbulk & Project Cargo: Handling of construction materials, agricultural machinery, mining equipment, public transport vehicles, and special project cargo including heavy lifts

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

International Car Operators (ICO) operates roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) terminals in Belgium, providing loading/unloading of vehicles and breakbulk cargo on deepsea and shortsea vessels, terminal storage, vehicle processing (PDI, accessories, repair), customs declaration, maritime agency, and complete door-to-door logistics from factory to dealer. The company serves global automotive manufacturers and shipping lines through terminals in Zeebrugge and Antwerp, with expansion planned in Barcelona.

Product overview

International Car Operators (ICO) is a RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) terminal and logistics operator offering an integrated suite of port handling and vehicle processing services. The core product portfolio centers on Ship Handling (loading/unloading RoRo vessels 24/7), Terminal Handling (storage with automated e-gate systems), Vehicle Processing Centers (PDI, accessories, repair, underbody protection), Breakbulk & Projects cargo handling, and Agency & Logistics services (customs, forwarding, maritime agency). ICO operates four terminals in Belgium—Northern Inlet Terminal and Southern Inlet Terminal in Zeebrugge, and Vrasene Terminal in Antwerp—plus a Barcelona Terminal opening in 2027. The company is developing a Barcelona facility opening in 2027. All operations are supported by the company's Terminal Operating System (TOS) for digital management. ICO is a 100% subsidiary of Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vehicle Processing (VPC)

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.4 million cars handled in 2022
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Port of Antwerp-BrugescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Strategic cooperation for the development of the Southern Canal Dock. Port of Antwerp-Bruges provides infrastructure and coordinates expansion projects. ICO completed first phase of dredging adding 600 meters of additional quay wall.
• ICO Windpark NVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture company established to manage the wind energy business at the Zeebrugge terminal. Consists of 11 wind turbines with 44 MW capacity generating 110 GWh annually.
• PortfinecominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary of Port of Zeebrugge, co-investor in the ICO Windpark NV joint venture for wind energy generation
• ENGIEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal leader in carbon-neutral energy and services, co-investor in the ICO Windpark NV joint venture for wind energy generation at Zeebrugge terminal
• DEMEminorOthersBelgian dredging company engaged for the Southern Canal Dock development project. Moved almost 1 million m³ of dredged material for the terminal expansion.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Eurogate: German container and multi-purpose terminal operator with vehicle handling capabilities at major European ports. Comparable in providing large-scale terminal infrastructure services, though with a stronger container focus.
• Mosolf Group: European finished vehicle logistics specialist operating terminals and vehicle processing centers, particularly in Germany. Direct competitor for OEM contracts and shares ICO's integrated terminal-plus-processing business model.
• HHLA (Hamburger Hafen und Logistik): Operator of Hamburg port terminals including vehicle handling facilities. Comparable European port terminal operator serving automotive logistics customers, though with broader container exposure than ICO's vehicle focus.
• BLG Logistics (AutoMLOG): Germany's largest automotive logistics provider with finished vehicle terminal operations and PDI services across European ports. Directly comparable to ICO as a competitor for OEM vehicle processing volumes and as a potential partner for cross-border flows.
• Hyundai Glovis: South Korea-based finished vehicle logistics arm of Hyundai Group with global RoRo terminal and PCTC operations. Comparable scale and vertically integrated model, serving OEM-affiliated and third-party vehicle flows.

Broad incumbents

• Yusen Logistics: NYK Group's broader global logistics subsidiary providing automotive supply chain services. Sister company within NYK Group that could leverage ICO's terminal capabilities or compete for OEM contracts in overlapping geographies.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Global logistics giant with significant automotive finished vehicle logistics division. Competes with ICO's agency and forwarding services for OEM logistics contracts, though operates across many verticals rather than specializing in vehicle terminals.
• Wallenius Wilhelmsen: Global leader in finished vehicle logistics combining PCTC ocean shipping with terminal handling and vehicle processing. Adjacent rather than direct peer\u2014operates vessels (ICO doesn't) but overlaps in terminal services and serves the same OEM customers.
• Höegh Autoliners: Major global PCTC operator serving the deepsea vehicle trade that flows through ICO's terminals. A key shipping line customer of ICO and competing terminal presence in other regions makes it both customer and competitor.

Regional players

• P&O Ferrymasters: European finished vehicle and container logistics provider with shortsea RoRo expertise across UK and continental Europe. Comparable service mix in vehicle handling and shortsea connections, though more UK-focused than ICO's continental hub model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@werkenbijinternationalcaro3413
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-car-operators

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Car Operators